Call My Name
by HowCouldThisHappenToMe
Summary: Two halves of the same whole. What could that possibly mean? Whatever it is, I know I must help my prince, and dearest friend, restore his honor. But what will I do when Fate decides to interrupt the life I once knew? How can I possibly choose?
1. Prologue

**I know, I know... I've got too many stories going, but this was just too good an idea to pass up. Anyway, here's the prologue to my latest story. I don't believe I'll be putting more up until maybe the end of this month (perhaps sooner if I'm able to get what I need faster). I thought I'd give you guys a taste of what I've been writing for the past month and hiding away from everyone but my co-author. lol. So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters. I only own Kala and the few OCs I may add in to spice things up.**

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I awoke with the sun, just as I always did, just as all the other palace servants did. I was a prisoner in the palace, never allowed to leave unless it was with the Crown Prince. That only occurred when we were children, however, when the royal family would travel to Ember Island. All things considered, I was very fortunate to be serving within the palace. As I said before, I was a prisoner, taken from my family in the Southern Water Tribe when I was only a small child. My job in the palace was to be the personal servant to the Crown Prince, who was only a year younger than me. I was his friend, and one of the few people in the palace who thought he was worth something. Even his father, Fire Lord Ozai, believed his son to be a disgrace. I knew they were all wrong, though. Prince Zuko was more than he appeared to be, he was merely a kinder spirit than what his father expected.

"Kala, are you up?" a gentle voice asked softly, shaking my shoulder.

It was the voice of the woman who'd been like a mother to me since I'd come to the Fire Nation, Zelia. She was a middle-aged woman with long, sleek black hair and brown eyes. She had a slender form, which allowed her to move easily through the tight spaces servants must be aware of. She wore the crimson robes all servants were expected to wear, as did I.

"Yes, I am," I answered quietly, sitting up in my cot.

I ran my fingers through my light brown hair, trying to work out any knots that had accumulated in the night. Zelia chuckled as I reached for a comb to work out the rest. After tying my hair up in the traditional Fire Nation manner, I donned my own servant robe and slipped on my black shoes. I ate a small breakfast in the palace kitchen before running off to Prince Zuko's room, as I knew he would be arising soon, if he had not already. As I neared the doors to his room, I found that I had been correct. The door was slightly ajar, signifying that I was allowed to enter. Nonetheless, I knocked lightly on the door. The guards glanced at me as the door was opened by the Crown Prince.

"Good morning, Kala," he greeted with a smile. I bowed to him.

"Good morning, Prince Zuko."

I spent the day with the Prince, just as I did every day. I never minded having to be his company. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. Prince Zuko and I were close friends, had been since I was brought to the palace. He was my only real friend and I feared his younger sister, Princess Azula. She had a servant of her own and I often felt sorry for the poor girl. The day with Prince Zuko was much like any other. We walked through the courtyard, fed the turtle-ducks and talked about whatever came to mind. Zuko spent much of the day training his Firebending skills. As a Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe, I was forbidden from using my skills. I only worked with water when I was alone, and only in small amounts. I couldn't allow the guards or any of the royalty know I was a Waterbender. The Fire Lord would have had me locked away, or worse, killed. That afternoon, there was a meeting in the War Chamber, which Prince Zuko wanted to enter.

"Let me in!" he yelled. The guards did no such thing. At that moment, General Iroh, the Crown Prince's uncle, came forward.

"Prince Zuko, what's wrong?" he asked. I bowed humbly to him. General Iroh was another kind soul of the Fire Nation, just like Lady Ursa, rest her soul.

"I want to go into the War Chamber, but the guard won't let me pass."

"You're not missing anything, trust me. These meetings are dreadfully boring." I chuckled quietly, covering my mouth with my hand. General Iroh smiled at me.

"If I'm going to rule this nation one day, don't you think I need to start learning as much as I can?" Prince Zuko asked, trying to persuade his uncle.

"Very well," the general answered, "but you must promise not to speak. These old folks are a bit sensitive, you know? And Kala can't join us. You'll have to wait out here, my dear."

"Yes, sir," I answered with a bow.

"Thank you, Uncle," Prince Zuko said and the two of them walked into the War Chamber.

The two guards posted at the door stared down at me and I averted my eyes to the floor. As guards, they had a higher position than me and I was to behave as such. I merely sat on a nearby bench and waited for the meeting to be over and for Prince Zuko to return. After a while, I could hear yelling, and it sounded like the Crown Prince. I couldn't tell what he was saying, but I doubted this would be very good. I knew little of War Chamber etiquette, but speaking out never resulted favorably. Soon after, Prince Zuko and General Iroh left the War Chamber and I stood, bowing to them both. The Prince walked past me and I looked up questionably to the general.

"He's upset. Go talk with him. I'm sure you will be able to cheer him up," he said with a smile and a wink. I smiled up at him and bowed once more.

"Yes, General Iroh," I answered and ran after Prince Zuko. I found him where I usually did if he ran off, the turtle-duck pond. He was throwing small pebbles into the water, watching the surface ripple with each one. "Prince Zuko, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing important," he answered, tossing another pebble into the water. Watching the water ripple made me wish I could practice my Waterbending.

"You're upset. That's important."

"I spoke out, but that general's idea was wrong." I didn't dare ask what the plan had been. I was a servant and knew better than to ask those kinds of questions. "I'll be participating in an Agni Kai at dusk." I gasped quietly. I knew what an Agni Kai was, a fire duel. Prince Zuko would be facing another Firebender to settle the dispute.

"Zuko," I whispered with concern in my voice, breaking out of my formal speech.

"I'm not afraid of that general. I'll prove I'm right! Will you come to watch?" His question caught me by surprise.

"What?"

"Come and watch my duel," he repeated. He seemed excited now, anticipating the upcoming fight. I nodded slowly.

"If that is what you wish, Prince Zuko." The Crown Prince smiled at me and lightly pushed my shoulder, knocking me off-balance where I was kneeling.

"You don't have to be so formal about it."

"I'll try," I answered with a small smile.

That evening, at dusk, I gathered with the other spectators to watch Prince Zuko's Agni Kai. General Iroh had seen me as I was entering and beckoned me over to him. Upon his insistence, I joined him to watch the duel from the very edge of the ring. There were only a few feet separating the dueling ring from where I was standing. I could clearly see who Prince Zuko's opponent was and I covered my mouth with a quiet gasp. Princess Azula stood on the other side of General Iroh with a cruel smirk on her face. I turned my gaze back to Prince Zuko, wishing I could have warned him of the danger he was about to face. The two opponents stood and turned toward each other, the cloth falling from their shoulders. I could never forget the look of pure shock and fear that crossed Prince Zuko's face as he realized who he was to fight. The gong sounded and the Fire Lord began walking forward.

"Please, Father, I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn," Prince Zuko called, pleading for mercy from his father. I knew the Fire Lord didn't understand the meaning of mercy.

"You will fight for your honor," he answered harshly. Prince Zuko dropped to his knees, bowing to his father.

"I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son."

"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko." The Fire Lord continued to advance.

"I won't fight you." His father was now standing only a foot or so in front of his bowing form.

"You _will_ learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher," Fire Lord Ozai answered harshly.

Prince Zuko looked up and I could see the tears on his cheeks. His father lifted his hand to deliver the blow. I turned my head, unwilling to watch the display of cruelty. A tear fell from my eyes as I listened to Prince Zuko's anguished scream. The match was declared and the area was soon cleared. Prince Zuko had been taken away to tend to his burn. Less than an hour later, Fire Lord Ozai declared Prince Zuko banished and his only chance at redeeming himself would be to find and kill 'two halves of the same whole', as it had been described to me by Zelia.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means he must search for the Avatar," my motherly-figure answered.

"The Avatar is only a legend! He doesn't really exist!"

"Two halves of the same whole. What do you take that to mean, Kala?" I thought for a moment.

"There are… two people?"

"That's right. There are two legends surrounding the Avatar. The Prince must discover which is the truth, if either is, and carry out his mission."

That night, long after the sun had set, I stole away from the palace. I let my hair down and changed into the attire of a typical Fire Nation girl. My crimson shirt had a halter tie at my neck, but covered much of my torso. I also wore a pair of maroon pants and my black shoes. Gathering the few belongings I owned, I found not only Prince Zuko, but General Iroh, at the gates leading to the bay.

"Zuko," I hissed from the shadows. He turned to me, shock expressed in the one eye not covered in gauze and bandages.

"Kala, what are you doing here?" he asked

"I wish to serve my prince, and help my dear friend." General Iroh smiled at my words. From then on, I devoted my life to aiding Prince Zuko in his search to restore his honor.

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**I hope you enjoyed the prologue of "Call My Name". Please tell me what you think of it so far.**


	2. Chapter 1

**I know I said I'd post more towards the end of the month, but I couldn't resist posting the next chapter. I've had it sitting on my flashdrive for almost a month now. I _had_ to put it up to be seen. Please bear with me on the fact that I will have little dialogue matching the episode(s) this happens. I was unable to watch the first two episodes at the time I wrote this. It still turned out pretty decent, though, because I found out what happened. Anyway, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala and any random OCs that are thrown in.**

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It had been two and a half years since then and I was sixteen years old. Zuko was fifteen. We had had no luck finding any trace of an Avatar, if one existed. I still believed it was all a myth, that he'd merely been sent on this hunt in the hopes that he would perish in search. It was something I expected the Fire Lord to do. I'd always resented Ozai, and would only use his title when in the Fire Nation. Otherwise, his name was a foul word to me. He'd been the one who ordered the Southern Water Tribe be attacked. The only grace he'd given was in making me Zuko's servant. Of course, now that we weren't in the Fire Nation anymore, I was technically free. I could have left if I wanted, but I preferred to stay with Prince Zuko and General Iroh.

Zuko had learned of my Waterbending early on. Needless to say, he was surprised, but didn't appear to think much of the knowledge. If anything, it made me able to help him train himself. Being on a ship through much of our searching, I was able to practice with my Waterbending, teaching myself a few simple maneuvers. I was currently standing on the deck of Zuko's warship, bending a bit of water I'd gathered from the many snowdrifts surrounding us. We were headed to the South Pole, my old home. Needless to say, I was wearing a heavy coat over my clothes. I could not for the life of me understand how Zuko and his guards were able to keep warm with only their armor. Must have been a Firebender thing. Zuko had seen a strange beam of light and tried to find the source, thinking it may have been from the Avatar. Nothing came up and we were back where we had started. Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard and I jumped, dropping the water I had been bending. Zuko pulled out his telescope and I saw him smirk. He had seen something he liked. He quickly gave an order to his guards.

"Zuko, what did you see?" I asked, walking to stand beside him.

"I found something that may lead me to the Avatar. We're going down to a Water Tribe village," he answered and my eyes widened. I shook my head slowly and looked out at the icy sea.

"I can't go into the village with you."

"You won't need to. I can handle this."

"I know you can."

Soon, we landed in front of the Southern Water Tribe's village and Zuko exited the ship with his soldiers. I returned to my room aboard the ship, unwilling to go down. I couldn't bring myself to go to the place I called home when I was a small child. When I was young, I'd dreamed of returning. Now, I only wished to avoid it. It would only cause trouble if I went down. Besides, as Zuko had said, it wasn't necessary for me to join him on the snow-laden ground. He'd entered my room to tell me the news.

"The Avatar surrendered and is being locked up now. I can finally return home," he told me.

Though Zuko rarely smiled anymore, I could see the happiness in his eyes. It was a look I hadn't seen in years. I smiled softly and gave my congratulations. It seemed as though there was only one Avatar after all, and the Fire Lord's notion of 'two halves to the same whole' had been incorrect. I hated the idea of killing the Avatar, whoever he may be, but I knew how much this meant to Zuko. The Prince left, presumably to his own quarters, and I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

I began drifting off to sleep, only to have an alarm sound. I jumped out of bed, my heart racing and ran into the hallway to see what was happening. In a second, someone flew past me and I could see a boy who appeared to be younger than me by a few years. His head was bald and he wore the pale yellow and orange said to be from the Air Nomads. That was impossible, though. The Air Nomads had been extinct for a hundred years. As this boy passed by me, he glanced back and I stared into his deep brown eyes. In an instant, it felt as though a shockwave passed through me. I gasped and stumbled backwards, unable to do anything else. The boy disappeared behind the corner and I could only stare after him in shock. I was unsure what had happened to me in that instant, but I clutched my hand over my heart, trembling. Who was that boy? Why did I feel this strange connection to him? And what was this name that kept passing through my mind: Aang? When I could finally move again, I followed the sounds of fighting up to the main deck. I'd arrived just in time to see the bald boy fall over the edge of the ship and into the frigid water below. I ran to the side of the ship and looked over, trying to see what had happened to the boy.

Suddenly, light began pouring from the sea, where I had seen him fall. I was struck by that strange sensation again and gripped the railing tightly. My whole body shook, though not from the freezing air around me. I suddenly felt very weak and my legs felt as though they would buckle underneath me at any moment. The boy rose from the sea, a whirling column of water forcing him upward. He seemed to be bending it. Perhaps this boy truly was the Avatar that Prince Zuko had been searching for. The Avatar sent a wave of water at the ship, knocking everyone on it back. The water felt like a thousand needles being driven into my body. It was so cold. The air was taken from my lungs in a second and I could only count myself as fortunate when the wave finished passing over the ship. The bald boy fell onto the deck, clearly exhausted. I still felt weak and tried to force my body to stand.

Once on shaky legs again, I could see another boy, one from the Water Tribe with a warrior's wolf tail in his hair, push Prince Zuko down, where he'd been trying to get back on the ship. As the soldiers aboard the ship advanced on the Avatar, I ran over to where Zuko was, my knees threatening to give out at any moment. He was barely hanging onto the chain to the anchor. I reached down to try and use my Waterbending to help him, but my body began trembling once more. I could hear a girl yelling and glanced behind me to see a Water Tribe girl. She was Waterbending and freezing the soldiers in their tracks onboard the ship. I could only stare in shock as I watched her work. She was a Waterbender, just like I was, and she was from the Southern Water Tribe. Both of them seemed vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn't place how I'd known them. It was obviously from my childhood, but I didn't remember who they were.

The girl and two boys quickly boarded what looked to be a Flying Bison and began flying away. I had thought those were extinct as well! General Iroh came on-deck just as they were leaving. He helped me to pull Prince Zuko back onto the ship. I stepped back as the two of them launched a combined fire blast in an attempt to shoot the Avatar out of the sky. The boy used an air blast of his own to knock the fire ball into a wall of ice next to our ship. An avalanche resulted, covering the front half of the ship with snow and allowing the Avatar to escape. As they began leaving our sight, I could slowly feel my strength returning to me.

"Follow the Avatar!" Zuko yelled, ordering his crew. Glancing around the ship, I could only see the soldiers who were frozen, and the few that were trying to thaw them.

"That may have to wait, Prince Zuko," I answered quietly before bending some of the snow off of the deck.

Zuko growled in anger and punched the air, sending flames shooting from his hand and melting much of the remaining snow. I shook my head slowly, only to feel that my hair was stiff as it hit my face and back. Looking at a few strands, I could see the ice crystals that had formed in my hair and I realized that I had forgotten to wear my coat when I'd gone back on-deck. A shudder rippled through me and I wrapped my arms around myself.

"You should go back inside, Kala," General Iroh said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"So should you and Prince Zuko," I answered. Grabbing both of them by the arm, I led them inside the ship, where it would be much warmer. Less than an hour later, I had both of them in Zuko's room with blankets over their shoulders and hot tea being prepared.

"This is unnecessary," Zuko said, his temper beginning to flare again. I shook my head with a chuckle and poured the tea for both of them, as well as a cup for myself. After handing them their drinks, I took a sip of my own.

"You aren't a penguin-otter, Prince Zuko. You can't handle the weather like this. You'll catch a cold or possibly something worse."

"She's right, Prince Zuko. You can only face the Avatar if your health is at its best," General Iroh said, taking a sip from his ginseng tea. It was his favorite, as I well knew.

"We're going to lose track of the Avatar if we don't keep on his trail," Zuko protested.

"We will find him again. Don't worry."

I nodded, keeping my thoughts of the Avatar to myself. I knew we'd find him again, but I was unsure if Zuko would be able to capture him again. After the Waterbending display he'd shown earlier that day, it was clear to see defeating the Avatar would be difficult. I was still curious as to how I'd been drained of my energy before, yet perfectly fine now, as though nothing had happened. Perhaps it was just another mystery to solve about the Avatar.

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**Yeah, some fun stuff. lol. Please R&R.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Finally! Fanfiction decided to work long enough for me to update this. I've been trying since yesterday to get this chapter to you people. Anyway, here's the next part of the story. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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It was another two weeks before we were finally able to pull into a harbor to repair the ship. It had taken a lot of damage during the battle with the Avatar and I was thankful we had been able to make it as long as we had. As the ship docked in a Fire Nation harbor, I couldn't help but notice just how small it was compared to those surrounding us. They made our ship look like a dingy. Once docked, General Iroh, Prince Zuko and I stepped off the ship and onto the docks.

"Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail," Zuko said, his voice slightly lowered.

"You mean the Avatar?" General Iroh asked.

"Don't mention his name on these docks. Once word gets out that he's alive, every Firebender will be out looking for him and I don't want _anyone_ getting in my way."

"Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" a man asked as he neared us. I vaguely recognized him as the man who stood behind me when I watched Zuko's Agni Kai two and a half years prior. I didn't know his name, only that he was of importance and I was to show the proper respect. I bowed to him and took a step back.

"Captain Zhao," Zuko said, his voice almost making the name sound like a foul word.

"It's Commander now," the man answered and turned to face General Iroh, his voice taking on a more pleasant tone. "And General Iroh, great hero of our nation.

"Retired General," the Dragon of the West answered and the two men bowed slightly to each other.

"The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcomed guests anytime. What brings you to my harbor?"

"Our ship is being repaired." General Iroh gestured towards the ship and the extensive damage it had taken. I grimaced as I looked again at the handiwork of the Avatar.

"That's quite a bit."

"Yes. You wouldn't believe what happened," Zuko said only somewhat awkwardly. "Uncle, tell Commander Zhao what happened." General Iroh appeared surprised, but quickly recovered.

"Yes, I will do that. It was incredible," he said and lowered his voice to more of a mutter. "What? Did we crash or something?"

"Yes." Zuko's voice still sounded a bit nervous. "Right into an Earth Kingdom ship."

"Really? You must regale me with all the thrilling details. Join me for a drink?" Commander Zhao offered.

The tone he had towards Prince Zuko was condescending and I had to keep myself from scowling at it. In the two and a half years we'd been traveling, I'd been less formal with Zuko, as we'd always been so close, but I still knew how to behave in front of a higher-ranking official. At that exact moment, though, I hated my servant status and wished to speak out against the commander.

"Sorry, but we have to go," Zuko answered and began walking away. General Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Prince Zuko, show Commander Zhao your respect," he said sternly before turning towards the commander. "We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favorite."

Zuko growled as they walked away and threw his fists towards the ground, flames coming from them. Sullenly, he began following the two of them and I walked a few steps behind him. Once inside the commander's tent, tea was served to the three of us, though I could see Commander Zhao didn't wish to be cordial towards me. He began telling Zuko and Iroh of his plans to conquer Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom capital. I knew to remain silent as the plans were discussed and drank my tea without any interruptions.

"And by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule. The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war," Commander Zhao finished. Zuko had been enduring this talk the entire time, but I could tell his patience was wearing thin.

"If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, he is a fool," he answered. As he did, General Iroh stood and walked over to admire a rack of spears designed by the Fire Nation.

"Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue. So, how's your search for the Avatar going?" The rack of spears General Iroh had been looking at came crashing down and he quickly apologized, backing away.

"We haven't found him yet," Zuko said, answering Zhao's question.

"Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the Airbenders." I didn't dare bring up the point that in the legend, when the Avatar dies, he's reincarnated in the next line. That would have done little to help Prince Zuko, who only looked down at Commander Zhao's words. Unfortunately, Zhao caught the action. "Unless you've found some evidence that the Avatar is alive."

"No. Nothing."

"Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an _ounce_ of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found." I squeezed the tea up in my hand tightly, restraining my anger at the commander's accusation. I could feel the hot tea nearly burning my hands.

"I haven't found anything. It's like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago. Come on, Uncle, Kala. We're going." Zuko started for the door to the tent and I stood to follow, setting my tea cup on the table. Zuko was stopped by two guards crossing their weapons in front of him. I frowned slightly and glanced at Commander Zhao as one of his soldiers entered the tent.

"Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape," he informed the commander. I glared harshly at the man, though he couldn't see, and my hands clenched into fists. How _dare_ Commander Zhao think to do such a thing to Prince Zuko?

"Now, remind me. How exactly was your ship damaged?" the commander asked Zuko. He, General Iroh and I were all led back to our seats by the guards. Zuko was given no choice but to explain everything he knew. That, of course, did not mean that I was to tell him what I had experienced with the Avatar. That was something I had yet to share with Zuko, as I didn't deem it important.

"That's when he escaped," Zuko finished.

"So a twelve-year-old boy bested you and your Firebenders. You're more pathetic than I thought." I took a deep, silent breath to keep myself calm. I wished he would stop treating the _prince_ like trash.

"I underestimated him _once_, but it will _not_ happen again."

"No, it will not, because you won't have a second chance."

"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I-"

"Have failed," Zhao interrupted as he turned around, a trail of fire streaking across him as he turned. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now." Zuko growled and stood to attack Zhao, but the guards held him back, again. "Keep them here."

With that, the commander left the tent. Zuko kicked the tea table over out of anger and General Iroh asked for more to drink. We were left in the tent for about an hour. Only General Iroh spoke, and it was in an effort to lighten the mood. The guards never left and we were forced to wait where we were. Finally, Commander Zhao returned.

"My search party is ready," he said. "Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you'll be free to go."

"Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?" Zuko asked angrily. This only made Zhao laugh.

"You? Stop me? Impossible." Zuko stood from where he was seated.

"Don't underestimate me, Zhao! I _will_ capture the Avatar _before_ you."

"Prince Zuko, that's enough," General Iroh said, trying to calm his nephew.

"You can't compete with me," Zhao answered. "I have hundreds of warships under my command. And you? You're just a banished prince. No home, no allies. Your own father doesn't even want you."

"You're wrong! Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne," Zuko insisted. It was the same thing he'd been telling himself, and me, for the past two and a half years. Sometimes, I wondered if he still believed it himself.

"If your father really wanted you home, he would've let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes, you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation." Enough was enough. I had heard too much from Zhao. I may not have agreed with Zuko when it came to the Fire Lord, but I knew he was far from a failure _or_ a disgrace. I stood from where I was seated and stared Zhao in the eyes.

"With all due respect, Commander, you're wrong!" I yelled. He glanced my way and frowned, his brow furrowing in anger.

"You should learn to hold your tongue, girl." She shot a fire blast at me and my eyes widened in fear. Before I could move, Prince Zuko grabbed my arm and pulled me out of harm's way, simultaneously forcing Zhao's hand toward the roof of his tent.

"Don't touch her!" Zuko growled. I stared at him in shock. He'd moved so quickly, I'd barely had time to regain my balance.

"Do I sense a challenge?"

"An Agni Kai at sunset."

"Very well," Zhao said. "It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle and servant girl will do." With that he left, with Zuko glaring after him.

"Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master?" General Iroh asked.

"I will never forget," Zuko answered. I stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn and face me.

"Thank you, Prince Zuko," I whispered with a bow.

That evening, at sunset, we gathered into an open arena used for the Agni Kai. A wave of dread washed over me as I was reminded of that day two and a half years prior. Everything was so similar to what I'd seen during Zuko's last Agni Kai. I turned my gaze away from the horizon to look down at Zuko, who was kneeling before General Iroh and me. Zhao was on the other side of the arena, doing the same but facing his soldiers.

"Remember your Firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons," General Iroh said.

"Please, be careful," I whispered, my fear getting the better of me.

"I _refuse_ to let him win," Zuko answered.

Both Zuko and Zhao stood, the cloths falling off their shoulders and to the ground. The gong sounded and Zuko too the offensive first, sending a fire blast at Zhao. The commander dodged it with ease, stepping to the side. More fireballs were thrown his way and he continued to move around them. He then began taking the offensive as well. Flame shot everywhere, dazzling in the dimming sunlight.

"Basics, Zuko! Break his root!" General Iroh called.

Zhao began advancing on Zuko, sending a blast that he blocked. The commander threw a few more small blasts. Then, he sent a much larger one, using both hands for it, and knocked Zuko to the ground. Zhao leapt in the air and landed in front of Zuko. I covered my mouth with my hand, gasping quietly. I couldn't bear to see Zuko hurt in another Agni Kai. Zhao unleashed a wave of fire and I was about to close my eyes to avoid seeing it hit. Before it did, though, Zuko spun, narrowly avoiding the flames. He kicked his heel behind Zhao's, knocking him off balance, and landed firmly back on his feet. Zuko then began kicking up waves of fire, causing Zhao to stumble backwards, as he had yet to regain his footing. Finally, Zuko delivered a blow that knocked Zhao to the ground. The prince stood before Zhao with his fist extended, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"Do it!" the commander yelled. Zuko unleashed a short stream of fire, but just to the right of Zhao's head. He'd spared the man's life. Zuko stood up straight, for he'd just won. "That's it? Your father raised a coward."

"Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back," Prince Zuko answered and walked away. He'd only gone about fifteen feet when Zhao stood and kicked a fire blast at Zuko's turned back.

"Zuko!" I screamed and ran to stand in front of him, my arms outstretched to protect him from the flames. At the same moment, General Iroh stopped the attack and sent Zhao flying back to the ground. Zuko turned and started running towards the commander, but General Iroh and I stopped him.

"No, Prince Zuko! Do not taint your victory," his uncle warned. Zuko pulled back slightly.

"He's not worth it," I whispered, glaring harshly at Zhao. I took my hands off of Zuko, seeing that he'd calmed enough. General Iroh then turned to the commander.

"So, this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you. Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious." With that, the three of us exited the arena. I could see how Zuko's expression had changed when General Iroh had spoken of his honor.

"Did you really mean that, Uncle?" Zuko asked as we passed through the gate.

"Of course. I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."

I chuckled softly at General Iroh's answer. His words had been true, and he knew that Zuko knew the answer to his own question. Personally, I believed the prince was more honorable than almost anyone else in the Fire Nation. We boarded our ship and soon set off to continue the search for the Avatar.

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**Hope you liked it. Please R&R.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Ah, the introduction of a twist. ... Let's hope people don't start flaming me after this chapter... Some people can be very close-minded, as I've learned. -crosses fingers and hopes for the best-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I've got claims on Kala.**

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A few days after Zuko's victory against Commander Zhao, we were still in search of the Avatar. Keeping on his trail was difficult, especially considering we only had rumors to go on as we traveled. The best we could do was hope and prepare for the battles that would be ahead. I often practiced my Waterbending, working to try to move the water exactly as I wanted it. Usually, it didn't work quite as well as I would have hoped, but I was making _some_ progress. I supposed I was doing well for myself, without anyone to teach me. On this day, however, I was content with sitting on the deck of the ship, watching as Prince Zuko trained himself in Firebending. General Iroh was watching as well, though from the other side of the ship. He'd give a few directions for Zuko, guiding him on form.

I watched as the flames flew from Zuko's hands and feet as he moved swiftly, attacking the air around him. His movements were elegantly executed with the agility and strength one could only find in fire. The flames Zuko created danced in the air for a few seconds before extinguishing, only to be replaced by new ones. As much as I'd always feared the Fire Lord and the Firebenders like him, I'd always found fire to be the most beautiful of the elements. Though it was used for destruction so many times in the past hundred years, I still saw the beauty in it. Fire was energy, was life.

I was jerked away from my musing as a stream of fire appeared to be coming directly at me. It actually flew past me without burning so much as a hair on my head, but I realized that too late. As it was drawing near me, I instinctively threw my hands in front of me and screamed. When I did, flames shot from my hands and directly at Zuko. He was forced to duck and roll in order to avoid them. All of this happened in a matter of seconds. Once the fire had disappeared into the air, Zuko and I could only stare at each other in complete and utter shock. I was breathing heavily, still trying to slow my speeding heart rate and Zuko had yet to move from his crouched position after dodging the fire I'd created. After a minute of silence, Zuko was the first to speak.

"What was that?!" he demanded. General Iroh stood from where he had been sitting, running a hand down his beard.

"It would appear we were mistaken," he said quietly, as though speaking to himself. I finally lowered my hands from where they were and stared up at him. Zuko sat on the deck and looked toward his uncle as well.

"What are you talking about, Uncle?"

"Prince Zuko, Kala, did you know there are two legends surrounding the Avatar?" My mind was immediately brought to the day of Zuko's Agni Kai against his father.

"Zelia mentioned two legends!" I exclaimed and quickly covered my mouth. Lowering my hand, I continued my thought. "She said that Prince Zuko would have to discover which one was the truth, if either, and carry out his mission."

"That is right. However, I believe that has become far more complicated than any of us could have expected. It would appear my brother was correct in saying Prince Zuko must find 'two halves of the same whole.'"

"What's the other legend?" Zuko asked.

"The term 'Avatar' refers to not one individual, but the combined power of two people. In order to maintain balance, the power to control all elements was not given to one person, but distributed to two, a male and a female. In this way, there would be a balance of power, much like Yin and Yang. One could not overcome the other. It is said that one of these individuals will have the ability to bend both Air and Earth. That would be the Airbending boy we've have been calling the Avatar. The other, as legend goes, was able to bend both Water and Fire."

"Oh, no," I whispered, realizing where this was leading.

"That is right, Kala. You are half of the Avatar." Zuko's head turned to me and I could see the shock in his eyes. It seemed he didn't want to believe what he'd just heard.

"Uncle, that doesn't make any sense. The one we've been following was able to Waterbend when I fought him," he said, trying to find a way around what had been told to us.

"It's been said that the Avatar, or halves, are able to go into a state of immense power, allowing them to control any of the elements. I don't know much of the details."

"Could that be why?" I murmured.

"What's on your mind, Kala?" General Iroh asked.

"When that boy was Waterbending, he began glowing. Then, I felt as though my strength had been sapped from me. Could the state you're talking about have anything to do with that?"

"It may. I can't be sure." Zuko stood and walked swiftly into the ship, not saying another word. I stared after him in concern.

"Is he alright?" I asked.

"Prince Zuko must now make a difficult choice. He had been ordered to kill the Avatar if he wanted to restore his honor in the eyes of the Fire Lord and return home. Now, he must decide if he will go through with that. Doing so would mean he would have to kill you, his closest friend, and hunt down the boy. If he does not, he must then decide what he will do, knowing he will be unable to return home."

"General Iroh," I started, staring down at my hands. He chuckled softly.

"Kala, what have I told you about dropping the formalities?" he asked, trying to calm me with laughter. I couldn't laugh this time and only nodded.

"Iroh, what can I do to help him?" Iroh sat beside me and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"My dear, this is something you can't aid him in. Prince Zuko must reach a decision on his own. Bear in mind that if he chooses to pursue the only chance he has at restoring his honor, you will be in grave danger."

"I understand that. Actually, that's not my main concern at this exact moment."

"It isn't?"

"No. I'll worry about that if Prince Zuko decides to kill me. I'm more concerned with the well-being of my best friend's mind. He's already been through so much."

"While I admire your loyalty to Prince Zuko, I must ask: Are you crazy?" I chuckled softly this time and turned my head to look Iroh in the eyes.

"I've been Prince Zuko's servant for years, raised to do anything for him. I don't think that's why I'm so calm about this, though."

"You care deeply for my nephew, don't you?"

"He's been my only friend for so many years," I answered and stood up, turning to stare out into the sea. Iroh hummed, as though thinking something over, but didn't say anything more. Instead, he stood as well, starting on his way to the door leading inside the ship. Before he reached it, though, he looked over his shoulder at me.

"I must ask, Kala, what would you do if my nephew decided to help you in your destiny?" he asked.

"I'd need to master Water and Fire."

"You would have to go to the North Pole and learn from a master."

"And for fire, I would hope for you as a teacher." Iroh didn't answer, but simply walked inside without another word. A breeze from the sea blew my hair around my face and I closed my eyes. I was putting my fate in Prince Zuko's hands. I could only hope he would make the right decision.

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**Yes, Zuko gets to make a crucial decision concerning the life of his best friend. Please R&R.**


	5. Chapter 4

**This chapter is more of an insight kind of thing. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. Only Kala belongs to me.**

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I hadn't seen Prince Zuko the entire day after we had discovered I was the 'other half' of the Avatar. I hadn't seen him during the next day either. That's surprising, considering how few places there are to hide on a ship. I'd seen Iroh a few times, but he never said anything to me. Instead, he just gave me a small smile and I was left to wonder what was going on through that confusing, though very wise, mind of his. I'd resigned myself to stay in my room, unless other needs forced me to leave. I didn't want to pressure Zuko into anything. He would make his choice on his own.

Unable to remain in my room any longer, I quietly snuck out onto the deck. Walking up to the bow, I pulled some water up from the sea and began bending it and making it to twist around my arms. I'd always found water calming, just as I'd always seen fire as beautiful. I felt at ease Waterbending, as though it were a familiar friend. I supposed in some ways, it was. It was the only thing the connected me to my former life, before I had been taken by the Fire Nation.

A set of footsteps broke me out of my concentration and the water wavered before splashing onto the deck. I whirled around to see Zuko nearing me. My breath caught in my throat as my muscles tensed. Though we'd been the closest of friends for years, I couldn't stop the fear that coursed through my veins as he approached. I didn't know what he would do. Would he kill me on the spot? Have me locked up to prevent any chance of escape? Or would he simply act as though nothing had changed? My hands trembled and I curled them into fists in an attempted to hide it. I quietly cleared my throat and bowed to Zuko, closing my eyes.

"Good afternoon, Prince Zuko," I greeted in a small voice. I hoped he hadn't noticed the slight wavering. He grunted in response and I slowly straightened out. Shakily, I turned and stared back out at the ocean. I gripped the side of the ship out of fear. I was torturing myself with these fearful thoughts, but I was so afraid of what Prince Zuko would have chosen.

"You turn your back to me, even knowing I could easily strike you down?" he asked in disbelief.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would do so whether I was looking at you or not."

"You think I'm going to kill you." His voice was raised slightly. That infamous temper of his was beginning to flare again. I was silent for a moment, allowing the sea breeze brush past me, waving my hair in its gentle caress.

"No," I whispered into the air. Zuko sighed, from relief or frustration I couldn't be sure, and moved to stand beside me. "I don't think you're going to kill me."

"Then what _do _you think?"

"I think you're my best friend, and that you're being forced to make a decision you don't want to have to make. I think you're being put in a very unfair position by the hands of fate. And, may I be blunt, Prince Zuko?" He nodded and I turned to face him. "I think your father is to blame for much of this unfair position because if he hadn't sent you on this wild goose-monkey chase for the Avatar, you wouldn't have to choose between killing me and abandoning your only chance at regaining your honor." I sighed and turned back toward the sea, clenching my hand into a fist again.

"That's how you really feel?" Zuko asked. His voice didn't hold anger, or sympathy. More than anything, he sounded slightly intrigued by my opinion on his father. I shook my head.

"That's just the opinion of a lowly servant girl. What does it matter?" Zuko didn't answer. Silence passed between us for a few minutes before I turned and stared down at the water I'd dropped onto the deck. I used my Waterbending to lift it into the air and send it back into the ocean. "What _are_ you going to do now?"

"I'm going to continue searching for the Avatar." I averted my eyes.

"Well, you already have half," I mumbled, bowing my head.

"You're also going to the Northern Water Tribe." At this, I finally looked into Zuko's eyes, my own widened in shock. Had I heard him correctly?

"W-What?"

"The Airbender will probably be looking for you and you need to master Waterbending. He'll most likely go to the Northern Water Tribe to try and meet up with you."

I was still in shock at Zuko's decision. I merely nodded my head, trying to comprehend where this had suddenly come about. Zuko left me soon after and I walked through the inside of the ship, soon coming upon Iroh. He was playing a game of Pai Shō with one of the crew members. As I entered the room, he smiled at me.

"Good afternoon, Kala," he greeted heartily. I bowed respectfully to him.

"Good afternoon, General Iroh," I answered. Though he wanted me to be less formal with him, I felt I was required to use his title when in the presence of the crew. "Prince Zuko has told me of his plans to go to the Northern Water Tribe."

Iroh merely winked with a smile. A confused expression crossed my features, but I quickly shook my head and bowed to him again. It was no business of mine what he had planned. I walked down the hall and into my room, sitting on the edge of my bed. Opening the drawer to my bedside table, I saw a small necklace that I'd kept for years, since I was captured by the Fire Nation. _Remember who you are, Kala_. Those words were engraved into my mind.

_I was afraid. Locked within a metal ship with iron shackles around my wrists, I could only tremble. I'd been taken from my home, from my family. I had nothing but the clothes on my back. I was locked in a large room with other men and women from my tribe. They were all familiar faces, though I knew very few of their names. I had only seen them in passing. One of the women must have seen me trembling, for she moved to sit beside me and put her arms around me._

"_You're going to be alright," she whispered gently. "They won't kill a child as young as you." I trembled in her arms and buried my face into the thick coat that she wore, that all the people of the Southern Water Tribe wore._

"_I want my Momma," I whimpered. The woman gently rubbed my back in a soothing manner._

"_I know you do. What is your name?"_

"_I'm Kala. My Momma is Kalila and my Papa is Bato."_

_The woman nodded and then removed a small necklace from around her neck. It was made with a black leather strap and for a pendant, it had a small, light blue circle. On the pendant, two small lines were engraved to depict waves flowing over each other. The woman tied it around my neck with a small smile._

"_Remember who you are, Kala. And always remember where you come from," she whispered._

That woman was killed only days later, thrown over the edge of the Fire Nation ship were had been locked in. I never even learned her name. With a small sigh, I pulled the necklace out of the drawer and tied it on. I liked the way it felt on my neck. It felt… right. Staring into a mirror, I smiled softly.

"I'll never forget," I whispered.

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**I just thought I'd give you guys a little bit of an idea what happened to her when she was a child. Personally, I enjoy well-executed flashbacks and I hope I pulled it off in y'all's eyes. Please R&R.**


	6. Chapter 5

**We're getting back to the actual show again. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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A few nights later, I was walking with Iroh as he was on his way to speak with Prince Zuko. I knew what the news was and I knew the reaction would not be pretty. Zuko was meditating, but that didn't mean he would be calm when he heard what Iroh had to say. The Dragon of the West opened Zuko's door and I could see the flames of four candles steadily growing and shrinking with each inhale and exhale Zuko took.

"The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Airbender," Zuko said. His voice was calm, but it held a hint of a threat. I gulped silently. Iroh stepped into the room with me right behind him.

"Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don't get too upset," Iroh answered.

"Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now, whatever you have to say, I'm sure I can take it."

"Okay, then. We have no idea where he is." The flames of Zuko's candles burst, as did his temper.

"What?!" the prince demanded, turning and standing before us. Iroh opened a fan and began using it to cool himself off. He handed one to me as well.

"You really should open a window in here," he said.

"Give me the map!" Zuko ordered and took the rolled-up map from Iroh's hand. He began glancing across it.

"There have been multiple sightings of the boy, but he is impossible to track down." I glanced over Zuko's shoulder at the map to see a pattern-less stream of directions.

"How am I going to find him, Uncle? He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering," Zuko said.

I shook my head with a sigh. I doubted a twelve-year-old boy knew what he was doing. It seemed more likely that he was stopping wherever piqued his interest. The next day, at lunch, I ate with Zuko and Iroh. We'd been brought fish and the servant had mentioned the news he'd heard about the Airbender through rumors.

"The Airbender's on Kyoshi Island?" Zuko asked, standing. "Uncle, ready the rhinos. He's not getting away from me this time." Zuko walked around the table to leave the room.

"Are you going to finish that?" Iroh asked, pointing to the fish that had been placed on the table. Zuko returned and picked it up."

"I was going to save it for later!" I chuckled softly as Iroh sulked. I then stood up and followed Zuko out of the room

"I'm going with you," I told him.

"You don't need to."

"Maybe not, but I'd feel better if I did. It will still take another day to get there." Zuko didn't answer.

The following evening, we arrived in the bay that led into Kyoshi Island. I rode on a komodo-rhino with Zuko, carefully holding onto his armor to make certain I didn't fall. We had a small army Firebenders with us, all riding komodo-rhinos. Zuko felt that for a town as small as on Kyoshi Island, little force was needed.

"I want the Airbender alive," Zuko ordered. As we rode towards the town, I couldn't help the feeling of dread I felt. The town was desolate when we entered it. "Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever." There was no answer. "Find him."

The other Firebenders rode forward, ready to begin their search. Suddenly, girls wearing green dresses and warrior makeup dropped down from the roofs of buildings and began attacking Zuko's soldiers. One came straight for Zuko and he shot a stream of fire at her. She easily avoided it and continued to advance. I jumped off the komodo-rhino in time for Zuko to turn it around and knock her down with its tail. I hid behind one of the buildings and watched as the girl fell to the ground. Zuko shot another blast of fire at her, but it was blocked by another warrior's fan. This warrior wasn't a woman, though. It was the same boy I'd seen during the first battle with Airbender. He had the warrior's wolf tail, but he now wore the traditional clothing of the Kyoshi warriors. Another girl dropped down and knocked Zuko off of his komodo-rhino.

"I guess training's over," the Water Tribe boy said and he and the girl ran forward to attack Zuko. I knew he could handle himself, so I ran off to search for the Airbender. I heard Zuko try and call out for him, taunting him.

"Hey! Over here!" a voice yelled.

I peered out from behind another building to see the bald boy standing at the entrance to the town. Zuko shot two streams of fire, which the boy quickly dodged. The monk then used his staff to fly over to Zuko and a close-combat fight began. The boy picked up two fans and used them to send a large gust at Zuko, which sent him flying into one of the buildings. Thankfully, I was standing behind the Airbender. I grabbed him and pulled him behind the house I was hiding behind. He began struggling, but I covered his mouth.

"Calm down. I won't hurt you," I hissed. He still tried to struggle against me and I pressed him against the wall of the house. "Stop moving. My name is Kala. I'm the other Half." Immediately, the boy stopped moving. He turned his head to look at me, shock in his eyes. I removed my hand from his mouth and turned him around.

"You're the one I saw on Zuko's ship. I knew your name the moment I saw you."

"You're name is Aang, isn't it?" He nodded. "Listen, Aang, I don't know much about this Avatar stuff but I _do_ know I'm in a very compromising position right now. I have to stay with Zuko for reasons I doubt you'll understand. Just know this: while I can't join you, I won't be the one hunting you. We'll have to master our own elements separately and hopefully we'll be able to meet up again to join forces."

"Why can't you leave with me now? You won't have to be Zuko's prisoner."

"Because I'm not a prisoner anymore. Like I said, you won't understand. Just trust me when I say I'm your ally, even though I'm working with your enemy. Now get out of here before Zuko sees me with you."

Aang nodded and used his staff to fly off, high over the town. Glancing around, I could see the destruction that had been caused by Zuko's soldiers. The village was on fire and slowly burning to the ground. I was reminded of the day I was taken from my home in the South Pole and the pain that came with it. I didn't want to be the cause of that kind of pain. Only minutes later, I saw the Sky Bison Aang and his friends rode on leaving Kyoshi Island. I quickly found Zuko and pointed it out to him.

"Back to the ship!" he ordered. "Don't lose sight of them."

We quickly ran back to Zuko's ship, riding the remaining komodo-rhino. I stared sadly at the burning town behind us. I then watched as a giant eel-like creature roared up out of the water and sprayed down the town, putting out all of the fires. From on top of it, I could vaguely make out a small orange figure. Though we were all soaked from the water, I couldn't help but smile. The village had been saved, and though the search for Aang would continue, I felt better now that he knew we were technically on the same side.

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**Yeah, she's finally gotten to talking to Aang about this whole Half thing. Hope you guys are liking how I'm doing this. Please R&R.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Well, here's another chapter. Since in the episode "Imprisoned" you don't see Zuko until the last five seconds or so, I came up with my own stuff to try and fill the void, while still keeping what happened in those last five seconds. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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Weeks had passed and there were few signs of Aang and his friends, whom I still couldn't place how I'd known them. Zuko was becoming more and more frustrated with the lack of progress, but continued to direct us to the North. After all, he still believed that was where Aang would be heading. I knew otherwise, but couldn't bring myself to tell Zuko my ideas. I knew Aang would be going to the Earth Kingdom. He had to learn Earthbending.

Rather than dwell on the information I was keeping from Prince Zuko, though I knew it would have helped him regain his honor, I decided to train myself in Waterbending again. I walked onto the deck of the ship and pulled up a stream of water from the sea. Remembering what little I'd been able to discover on my own, I relaxed my body and allowed myself to feel the water's movements.

_Flow like the water,_ I reminded myself as I began moving with the water following my hands. My movements started off a bit shaky, but as I continued to work with the liquid, they became more fluid-like. After a few minutes, I felt comfortable enough to close my eyes as I began spinning around. I twisted on the balls of my feet, moving as though in a smooth dance. I felt free and at ease as I was Waterbending. It felt natural, as though it was as much a part of me as my azure eyes.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked from behind me, causing me to jump and drop the water I'd been working with. I hadn't expected to be interrupted in my training. My eyes snapped open and I whirled around to face the speaker, Prince Zuko. I bowed to him, my eyes averted to the floor.

"I-I was just practicing, Prince Zuko," I murmured.

"I've never seen you do _that_ before." It was then that I realized he'd been correct. Normally, when he saw me Waterbend, it was with quick movements, or with very little water. Never before had he seen me fully Waterbend, as I had just been.

"It was just some simple bending, that's all. I'm not a master, so I try what I can." I stared out at the sun as it was beginning to set. My bending was always stronger at night, as I'd noticed, but Iroh had a music night planned that evening. He insisted I join him and the crew. I then noticed that we were nearing another Fire Nation fort, one that looked as though it had taken much damage. My eyes widened as I stared at it. Even from a distance, I could see holes in the structure. "What could have happened there?"

"That's what I'm going to find out. You stay on the ship," Zuko ordered. I nodded and walked back inside, to the common room where I could find Iroh in front of a Pai Shō board.

"Ah, Kala. Would you like to learn how to play?" he asked upon seeing me.

"I doubt I will be very good," I answered, my voice dropping in embarrassment. It seemed everyone on the ship at least knew the most basic rules of the game. Even in watching, I had been unsuccessful in learning the game. Iroh merely laughed heartily.

"I'm sure you will do fine. Sit down." I did so and stared down at the tile board. "Now, the object Pai Shō is to create the most harmonies between the flowers. It is much like Ikebana, the arrangement of flowers." A smile crossed my features.

"I know a little about that. I learned from watching the servants in the dining hall." Iroh nodded with a smile before continuing.

"Each player may take one of four moves during their turn: Play one piece on an intersection, move one of the pieces up, down, left, or right to an adjoining intersection, as long as they don't interfere with tile rules, use the wheel to rotate the pieces around the wheel clock-wise, or pass their turn." I nodded, understanding that part of the game. "Certain flower tiles go along with other tiles. This is called a harmony. They will also go against other tiles in a disharmony. At the end of each game, for each set of tiles that are in harmony next to each other give the owner of the harmony one point. For each tile that is in disharmony next to each other causes the owner of the tile to lose a point. Pieces must be owned by the same player to create harmony or disharmony. I will explain the harmonies in just a moment. To form a harmony, the two tiles must be owned by you, and they must be connected by any number of the lines in one cardinal direction. There can be no opposing or disharmonious tiles in between your two tiles. However, there may be boat and neutral harmony flower tiles in between."

From that, my head was already swimming. Iroh continued to explain how to play the game, showing me with the tile board. I had to admit, I learned better from watching as he explained it, rather than just listening to him or trying to pick it up on my own. He spent much of the evening teaching me the game and was very patient as I struggled to grasp certain aspects. Whenever I asked a question, he would answer it as though it was no trouble to him at all.

"Okay. I think I'm beginning to understand this," I murmured. "But, what is this tile?" I pointed to the tile Iroh had placed in the center of the board. It had a white flower with what appeared to be pale pink petals.

"That, Kala, is the White Lotus. It is much like a 'wild card' and has no harmonies or disharmonies. You gain a point for every tile within three spaces of the White Lotus. Not many see the worth of this tile. I can assure you, though, it has a great value," he explained. I looked down at the White Lotus tile and smiled. It certainly was pretty. It was also the simplest tile to remember, as I wouldn't have to think of harmonies or disharmonies.

"Well, I like it."

"Well, then, I'll just have to find one for you one of these days for you to keep."

"I don't think I'll play very much, Sir. I barely understand it." To that, he only laughed.

"You never know, Kala. The future holds many surprises."

I smiled softly and noticed Zuko walk by the room Iroh and I were in. In his hand, I saw a small turquoise object dangling from a leather strap. Immediately, my hand went to my neck, where I still wore the necklace I'd been given by that woman from the Water Tribe. It was still there, so where had Zuko gotten that one? I then thought of the girl traveling with Aang. I still didn't know her name, but perhaps it had been her necklace. Zuko seemed unhappy as he walked by quickly, not bothering to greet Iroh or me.

"He doesn't seem in too good a mood," one of the ship's crew members mumbled. I glanced at him with a small nod.

"He will be fine by morning," Iroh answered easily. "Now, let's go on deck for music night. Kala, can you play an instrument?" I shook my head as I stood.

"No, Sir. I've never learned," I answered. Iroh placed an arm over my shoulders, leading me out of the room.

"Then it appears you will have to sing while we provide the instruments." My eyes widened in shock and I shook my head.

"No, I couldn't possibly."

"Nonsense. I'm sure you have a lovely voice." I didn't get any say in the matter as I was led up onto the deck to perform with the rest of the crew.

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**Lol. Don't worry, this won't become a songfic. If anything, I'll use actual songs from the show that can be heard at various points... though there aren't a lot of those. Anyway, Iroh's explanation of the game of Pai Sho is actually what I found for the rules. Because it's a fictional game, some of the rules are still being debated, but what I found makes sense, I suppose. If you'd like to know where I found the rules, just ask and I'll be happy to let you know. Please R&R.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Well, this chapter is slightly shorter than the rest, but mostly because it's one of those 'leading-up' kind of chapters and I kinda needed to make the story match up with some dialogue in a later chapter... Either I goofed or my research was wrong... one of the two. Anyway, you'll see what it's about in a moment.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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I smiled softly as I dressed for the day. It was special, of great significance, at least to Iroh and me. It was Prince Zuko's sixteenth birthday. He never liked for us to make a big deal out of it, but rarely did his uncle heed to that. I was often dragged along in the preparations, as was much of the crew. Iroh simply wouldn't take no for an answer. A chuckle tumbled from my lips as I searched my trunk for the right clothes. They were finer than what I usually wore, and a bit less practical. The outfit I found was a long black skirt that flowed down to the floor, rather than stopping at my ankles like most, and a red, long-sleeved shirt that hung off my shoulders. It was elegant, yet simple. Iroh had found it for me on one of our stops in a harbor.

As I left my room, I began humming a song I'd learned from Iroh and the crew on music night. Already, a few of the crew members were bustling about, taking care of the errands Iroh would tell them to run. I quickly found Iroh in the common room. He had a piece of paper in his hand and was calling out various lists to the workers. After a moment, he glanced up from the paper and saw me.

"Ah, Kala, there you are," he greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Sir," I answered, bowing to him. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to keep Prince Zuko busy today. Keep him away from this room or the halls leading to it. If you could keep him on-deck or in his room, that would be splendid."

"I'll try to. Where is he now?"

"In his room. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you." I nodded and left the room, walking down a few hallways to Zuko's door. I knocked lightly and creaked the door open a little.

"Zuko, may I come in?" I asked. The door was pulled open and I saw Zuko standing before me. He stepped aside to allow me in and I entered the room with a smile.

"What are you dressed up for?" he asked.

"It's a special occasion, your birthday."

"I don't want today to be treated any different."

"I'm not doing anything," I answered innocently. Zuko frowned slightly and turned to sit in front of a row of four candles. It appeared that he was about to start meditating when I came in. I watched in silence as the flames danced with each breath he took. I was unable to tear my gaze away from each fire on the end of a wick.

"Where's my uncle?" Zuko asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence. He sounded calm and the flames still danced with is breath. It was much like the last time I'd seen him meditating, before we went to Kyoshi Island.

"He's playing Pai Shō with a few members of the crew. He tried to teach me, but it's complicated."

"It's a game of strategy. It's meant to be difficult."

"I mean the rules themselves are complicated." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm sure if I played more, I'd understand it better. Besides, I never see you play."

"I don't like the game. I think it's pointless."

"Every great leader must also be a great strategist, Prince Zuko," I reminded gently.

The flames on the candles grew slightly higher than they had previously, but I saw no other sign of Zuko's frustration with me. A knock came to the door and I went to answer it, seeing Iroh standing in the hall. He pulled me out of the room and shut the door behind me.

"There has been a slight change in plans," he whispered and I gave him a confused look.

"What happened?"

"There was a bit of an accident in the common room."

"Then what do you intend to do now?" I asked.

"I still need you to keep Prince Zuko preoccupied while I change our course slightly. There is an area nearby known widely for their relaxing hot springs," Iroh answered with a smile.

"You know Zuko will never go for something like that. He'll be as averse to it as he is to playing Pai Shō."

"That is why you cannot mention this to him." With that, Iroh turned me towards the door and left. I sighed softly before reentering Zuko's room and taking a seat where I had been before.

"Who was it and what did they want?" Zuko asked. His voice was as calm as before.

"It was your uncle. He just wanted to make sure you weren't keeping to yourself all day," I answered and focused again on the flames Zuko was controlling. He seemed content with my answer and I hoped he wouldn't be too upset when he discovered Iroh's plan. Perhaps a day of relaxation would do him some good.

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**See, in what I found, it said Zuko was fifteen at the beginning of the series and sixteen by the time the second season came along... well, two episodes of the show after where I've plucked this in, Iroh says something about Zuko being sixteen... So I plugged this in here just to make up for either the goof on my part, or the goof on the part of wherever I got my information (I don't remember where). Anyway, please R&R.**


	9. Chapter 8

**I personally think this is one of the funnier episodes of the show. I mean, seriously! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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We had finally arrived at the hot springs, though Zuko was far from pleased with the change in course. Iroh was in the largest, and lowest, of the water-filled craters, soaking. I was a level higher, wearing my black undergarments to cover myself, rather than sit in the water without anything on. Once Zuko had discovered Iroh's plan, he quickly left for the ship, clearly unhappy. Iroh had insisted I stay in the warm waters, saying that I'd been placed under much stress and this would wash much of that away. After a few hours, Zuko returned, pushing his way through the bamboo shoots.

"Kala! Uncle! It's time to leave!" he ordered as he neared us. "We need to move on. We're closing in on the Airbender's trail and I _don't_ want to lose him."

"You look tired, Prince Zuko," Iroh answered. He was making another attempt. "Why don't you join us in these hot springs and soak away your troubles?"

"My troubles cannot be soaked away. It's time to go!" He was quickly becoming impatient.

"You should take your teacher's advice and relax a little. The temperature's just right. I heated it myself." Iroh then used his Firebending to blow steam out of his nose to heat up the pool he was in. While he preferred the hotter waters, I was content moving the warm water around me into a stream-like current that massaged my back.

"Enough," Zuko answered. "We need to leave _now._ Get out of the water!"

"Very well," Iroh said and stood. I began to rise as well, closing my eyes to keep from seeing anything.

"On second thought, why don't you both take another few minutes?" I peeked from under one eyelid to see Zuko with his hand up to shield his eyes. "But be back at the ship in half an hour or I'm leaving without you."

Iroh and I sat back into our pools of water as Zuko walked away. Iroh sighed contently as he rested his back against the wall of the water-filled crater. I began Waterbending to have the streams on my back again and it wasn't long before I fell asleep. Hours later, I was awoken by the sound and feeling of an earthquake. My eyes snapped open and I was about to stand, but walls of rock shot out of the hot springs. Iroh and I were both trapped by a group of Earthbenders.

"He's a Fire Nation soldier and she's a civilian," one of them said, holding up mine and Iroh's clothes from the branches they were on. The one who appeared to be the leader stepped forward.

"He's no ordinary soldier," he answered. "This is the Fire Lord's brother, the Dragon of the West, the once-great General Iroh. The girl is an ally to the Prince. But now, they're our prisoners."

My eyes widened in fear as I glanced around at the men. They chained Iroh and me in shackles and loaded us onto their ostrich-horses. Looking at Iroh, I mouthed the words 'Should I', referring to my Waterbending or the fact that I was half of the Avatar. He only shook his head and I had to trust that he knew what he was doing. Iroh was wearing only cloth around his waist to cover himself. I kept my arms crossed over my chest and my knees tucked as much as possible. I was but one girl in a group of enemy soldiers. There was no telling what they would try to do to me. We traveled on through the night in silence. Finally, Iroh began to speak.

"Where are you taking us?" he asked.

"We're taking _you_ to face justice. The girl will face a different kind of treatment," the commander of the group answered. I gulped quietly, tears stinging my eyes.

"But _where_ specifically?"

"A place you're quite familiar with, actually. You once laid siege to it for six hundred days. It would not yield to you."

"Ah, the great city of Ba Sing Se."

"It was greater than you were, apparently." I glance at Iroh. I knew the story of his defeat at Ba Sing Se very well. His son had died in battle and he simply didn't have the spirit to fight on. Many saw it as an act of cowardice, but I only saw the man mourning for his son.

"I acknowledge my defeat at Ba Sing Se. After six hundred days away from home, my men were tired and I was tired." He yawned. "And I'm still tired." He then fell off the ostrich-horse he was riding on.

"Iroh!" I yelled in concern.

The soldier riding in front of me grabbed my arm to keep me from moving. His grasp was iron-like and it felt as though he was pressing into my skin as hard as he could. The soldiers picked up Iroh and put him back on the ostrich-horse from which he'd fallen from. I glanced at the ground and saw that he'd left a sandal on the pathway, a marking for Zuko to follow.

The next morning, we were still riding on those Earth Kingdom creatures. I was exhausted and saddened by the fact that we had been captured on the day intended to calm Prince Zuko. As we were riding on a path overlooking a steep hill, it appeared that Iroh saw something because he turned his head as if following the path of an object that flew by. I felt as if a strange chill had run down my spine and was suddenly bombarded by images. I saw a large comet streaking across the sky, a crescent-shaped island with Fire Nation flags all around it, a strange temple with a statue of one of my former selves, and a celestial calendar that appeared to be reaching the mark needed. It was Roku and the celestial calendar was set for the Winter Solstice. I gasped as I realized what this meant for me. If I wanted to understand anything more about my being half of the Avatar, I would need to speak with Roku on the solstice in that temple.

"What's the problem?" the commanding officer asked.

"Nothing… Actually, there _is_ a bit of a problem. My old joints are feeling sore, achy, and these shackles are too loose," Iroh answered. A confused expression crossed my face, as well as the commanding officer's.

"Too loose?" he repeated.

"That's right. The cuffs are loose and they jangle around and bump my wrists. It would help if you would tighten them, so they wouldn't shake around so much."

"Very well. Corporal, tighten his handcuffs."

The ostrich-horses were stopped and the man riding with Iroh dismounted. I watched as Iroh blew steam through his nose onto the manacle. Just as the man rested his hand on it, he screamed out from the searing pain of the hot metal. Iroh jumped off of his ostrich-horse and used Firebending from his feet to shoot at two more men. In the commotion, he rolled over the side of the hill. One of the soldiers used his Earthbending to stop him while another lifted me over his shoulder and brought me down to where Iroh was with the rest of them.

"He's too dangerous, Captain," one of the men said. "We can't just carry him to the capital. We'll have to do something now."

"I agree," the Captain said. "He must be dealt with immediately and severely." The men dug Iroh out of the ground and had him kneel in front of a large boulder. I was placed on the ground to watch their little spectacle. Iroh's hand were placed on top of the boulder and chained down. "These dangerous hands must be crushed."

One of the soldiers lifted another boulder out of the ground and moved it to hover over Iroh's hands. It was sent flying down to land on his hands and I screamed, covering my eyes. When I didn't hear the crash of the boulder in front of me, but rather more to the right of Iroh, I opened my eyes to see that Zuko had saved him. He then kicked the chains binding Iroh's hands together, breaking them and freeing his uncle.

"Excellent form, Prince Zuko," Iroh said as he stood. Zuko walked over and broke my chains as well, allowing me to move freely.

"You taught me well," he answered. Both of them took the fighting stance of the Firebenders they were. I stood in a more defensive position, as a Waterbender.

"Surrender yourselves," the Earthbender Captain ordered. "It's five against three. You're clearly outnumbered."

"And you're clearly outmatched," I retorted.

With both Iroh and Zuko there, I felt safer. I knew they could easily take down these men. The Earthbenders began attacking, pulling up large boulders from the ground. Iroh used the loose chains from his manacles to break apart the rocks while Zuko used his Firebending to knock the soldiers down. I'd found a bit of water and was able to strike down the men who came near me as well. We didn't cause any real damage, only enough to incapacitate them. In a matter of minutes, all of the soldiers were on the ground, covered by the rocks they had tried to use against us.

"Now would you _please_ put on some clothes?" Zuko asked as he looked at Iroh and me. I blushed furiously as I wrapped my arms over my chest. I wished I still _had_ my clothes. I glanced away and thought of the vision I'd had.

"Zuko… there's something I need to tell you," I murmured.

"What's wrong?"

"You know I hate to bring this up, but you know that I'm a Half." His gaze hardened toward nothing in particular. "I had a vision while we were taken prisoner. I need to go to Roku's Temple in the Fire Nation."

"Are you crazy?!"

"I know it's a lot to ask for, but I have to do this. Please, Zuko. You're concerned about your destiny, well, I'm concerned about mine. If I don't go, I'll never understand what any of this means… please."

"When do you have to go?" he asked.

"Tomorrow, for the Winter Solstice." Zuko nodded curtly and I bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Prince Zuko."

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**Yes, I had to change some stuff up because Kala isn't the one who goes to the Spirit World and gets whisked away by Roku's dragon. Well, please R&R.**


	10. Chapter 9

**-skims through chapter- Oh yeah! Now I remember what I did here... Sorry, I've got a bit of a process going here. I'm making sure I'm always six chapters ahead of what I update. So, I just finished writing chapter fifteen, which is why I'm posting chapter nine... if that makes any sense to anyone but me. lol. Anyway, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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The ship was already sailing before the next morning, heading straight for the Crescent Island. I was more than a little nervous about this. After all, Zuko had been banished from the Fire Nation and I doubted they take too kindly to a runaway servant who happened to be half of the Avatar. This plagued my mind throughout much of the night and into the next morning.

"Sailing into Fire Nation waters. Of all the foolish things you've done in your sixteen years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish!" Iroh warned. I wrung my hands out of nervous habit and bit my lower lip. I didn't like the idea of putting Zuko in this kind of danger. If I could have, I would have gone on my own.

"I have no choice, Uncle," Zuko answered and I looked away. He was doing this because I'd asked him to. I felt so guilty for that.

"Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord _banished_ you?! What if you're caught?"

"This has to do with finding the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home." That hurt me. I couldn't be sure if he was doing this to help me, or to help himself get closer to finding Aang.

"You give him too much credit," Iroh answered. "My brother is not the understanding type." Zuko ignored this comment.

"Helmsman, full steam ahead!" he ordered. I turned away and stared out at the sea. I knew this couldn't end well. Iroh was right in what he'd said about the Fire Lord. He wouldn't understand any excuse Zuko gave him, no matter how valid. Zuko would be locked away and I would be killed. I was broken out of my thoughts as Zuko spoke. "A blockade." I turned to see two rows of ships passing in front of us, ready to stop us from approaching.

"Technically, you are still in Earth Kingdom waters," Iroh said. "Turn back now and they cannot arrest you." We all ran out onto the main deck and saw how close we were to the blockade. "Please, Prince Zuko, if the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do."

"Zuko, you don't have to do this. Just forget about it. I don't want you getting captured because of me," I pleaded.

"I'm sorry," Zuko whispered before turning to order the crew. "Run the blockade!" As we neared, balls of fire were catapulted across the waters, a few nearly hitting the ship. Then, one of them hit the stern, causing the ship to tremble from the impact. Zuko grabbed my arm and held me up against the catapult on our ship, keeping me from falling.

"Prince Zuko, the engines are damaged! We need to stop and make repairs!" one of the workers called. Zuko turned back towards the blockade that was quickly advancing.

"Do _not_ stop this ship," he ordered.

"This is suicide," I hissed.

"We're on a collision course!" Iroh yelled and I covered my mouth. Our ship was sure to crash into at least one of the two approaching from the blockade.

"We can make it!" Zuko answered.

Suddenly, the blockade stopped and we passed through. On one of the ships, I could see Commander Zhao and my heart stopped for a moment. If he was here and he allowed us to pass, I wasn't sure I wanted to be within Fire Nation territory. By the time we made it to Crescent Island, the sun was beginning to set. I had no time to lose. Zuko, Iroh and I mounted a komodo-rhino and were quickly heading toward the temple where I was to somehow speak with Roku, my past life two cycles ago. I was more than a little fearful and wished we didn't have to do it this way. We soon made it to the temple and dismounted the komodo-rhino, running inside. The sun was quickly setting and we didn't have much time.

"Stop!" a voice ordered. We turned around to see five elderly men standing in the doorway we had just entered. "We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the temple of the Avatar."

"Then perhaps you could help me," I answered. Instead of a response, the man sent a stream of fire directly at me. Zuko pulled me away and redirected each of the three attacks back at the Sages.

"Kala, Prince Zuko, we must hurry," Iroh insisted and we began running down the hallway again. We ran through the temple, trying to find some way to get to the room I needed to be in. Unfortunately, one of the Sages found us first.

"I don't want to fight you. I am a friend." he told us. Zuko stood before me, ready to ward off any attack.

"How can we be sure?" I asked. "Last I knew, friends didn't attack each other." The man took a step forward and dropped to his knees, bowing.

"I know why you're here, young Miss."

"You do?"

"Yes," he answered and stood. "You wish to speak to the Half, Roku. I can take you to him.

"How?" Zuko demanded. The man moved a lantern and used his Firebending to open a secret doorway.

"This way." I stared at him skeptically. I wasn't sure if we could trust him.

"Find the girl!" another voice ordered. It sounded as though it was nearing where we were.

"Time is running out. Quickly." We walked through the doorway and the Sage closed the door behind us, leaving no trace that we had been there. As we walked through the passageway, the Sage began telling us about my former self. "Roku once called this temple his home. He formed these secret passages out of the magma."

"Did you know him?" I asked quietly.

"No, but my grandfather knew him. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this temple before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place."

"Is that how you knew Kala was coming?" Iroh asked.

"A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Roku, its eyes began to glow. At that moment, we knew both halves of the Avatar were upon the world."

"If this is an Avatar temple, why did the Sages attack me?" I asked.

"Things have changed. In the past, the Sages were loyal only to the two halves of the Avatar, us specifically to the Fire-Water Half, your former selves. When Roku died, the Sages eagerly waited for the next half to return, but she never came. Without the Half to control Air and Earth, your previous two lives were rendered useless and unable to come to this island. They lost hope the Avatar would ever come into being again. When Fire Lord Sozin began the war, my grandfather and the other Sages were forced to follow him. I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other Sages." I noticed Zuko had been silent throughout this whole conversation. It worried me, but I didn't know what I could say to him.

"Thank you for helping me," I said to the Fire Sage, bowing slightly. As we neared the top of the temple, the Sage told me that I would have to wait for the light to hit the top of Roku's statue in order to speak with him. We entered the top chamber, where there was a large door with five nozzles in it.

"No!" the Sage gasped.

"What's wrong?"

"The sanctuary doors… they're closed."

"Can't you just open them with Firebending?"

"No. Only a fully-realized Half is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the Sages must open the doors together with five simultaneous fire blasts."

"Then how are we supposed to get in? There are only three Firebenders," I stated.

"What about you?"

"I've only done it once and it was an accident. I can't Firebend yet."

"Maybe not, but perhaps we can fool the other Fire Sages into believing you can," Iroh suggested.

"Uncle, what are you talking about?" Zuko asked.

"If we use our Firebending, we will not be able to open all of the locks, but we can make it appear as though Kala has already entered the sanctuary." I gasped as I realized where he was going with this.

"Then, the Sages will open the door, thinking they will be able to get me out. That's when I'll run in," I finished.

"Precisely."

Minutes later, the other four Fire Sages entered the room. Zuko and I were hiding up in the rafters of the room while Iroh was carefully hidden behind a few statues and a tapestry. Zuko and I were positioned right above the door, allowing me the perfect position to enter the sanctuary once the doors were opened.

"How did the girl get in?" on of the older Sages demanded.

"I don't know," the man who'd aided us answered. "But look at the scorch marks."

"She's inside! Open the doors immediately before she contacts Roku!" All five of the Fire Sages used their Firebending at the same time, unlocking the door. It slowly opened, revealing an empty room. That's when Zuko and Iroh appeared out of hiding and attacked the Sages, holding them down. The man who'd helped us also grabbed another Sage to hold him still.

"Kala, now's your chance!" Zuko yelled and I dropped down from the ceiling and ran into the sanctuary. The doors were closed behind me and I saw the light shining in the middle of Roku's statue. Nothing happened though.

"What am I supposed to do now? I don't know any of this Avatar stuff," I asked, sighing heavily. Suddenly, as the light hit the top of the statue, smoke began filling the room and I felt as if I had been transported to another plain of existence. Standing before me, with a mountain in the background, was Roku.

"It's good to see you, Kala," he greeted. "What took you so long?" I gasped quietly, humbled by his presence.

"Roku," I whispered and dropped to my knees, bowing to him.

"Rise, Kala. You and I are one and the same. You do not need to bow before me in such a manner. We are equals, and you are far greater than the leaders of any nation." I slowly rose and stared into Roku's eyes. "Always remember that you are of great importance, greater than anyone but the other Half. You bow to show respect, but never to the floor will you bow again."

"Yes, Sir," I answered, nodding.

"Now, I have something very important to tell you, Kala. That is why you were sent that vision."

"You mean with the comet?"

"Yes."

"What does it mean?" I asked.

"One hundred years ago, Fire Lord Sozin used that comet to begin the war. He and his Firebending army harnessed its incredible power and dealt a deadly first strike against the other nations."

"The comet made them stronger?"

"Yes. Stronger than you can even imagine."

"But that happened a hundred years ago, when Aang disappeared. What does the comet have to do with the war now?"

"Listen carefully," Roku said. "Sozin's Comet will return by the end of this summer and Fire Lord Ozai will use its power to finish the war once and for all. If he succeeds, even the Avatar won't be able to restore balance to the world. Kala, you must join forces with Aang and defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives."

"But I haven't even mastered my own element yet, and then I will need to learn Firebending. Aang is already ahead of me because he's mastered Airbending."

"Mastering your two elements often takes years of discipline and practice, but if the world is to survive, you both must do it and join forces by summer's end."

"What if I can't master them in time? What if Aang and I don't meet up again? What if I fail?" I asked frantically.

"I know you can do it Kala, for you have done it before." I smiled softly, realizing he was right. All of my former lives, they had mastered their elements, just as Aang's past lives had done. "The solstice is ending. We must go our separate ways for now."

"But I won't be able to return to this place. I still have so many questions."

"I already told you, Kala. You and I are one and the same. When you need to talk to me again, you will find away," Roku answered and closed his eyes. I did the same and saw images of Fire Nation ships and Zhao standing at the door. "A great danger awaits you in the temple. I can help you face the threat, but only if you are ready."

"I'm ready," I answered and suddenly felt and immense power course through my veins.

Then, I blacked out. I have no memory of what happened after that moment. The next thing I knew, I had awoken in my bed, back on Zuko's ship. My head was pounding and I felt weakened, but more than anything I was worried about Zuko and Iroh. Did they make it out of the temple? What had happened after Roku took over my body? I carefully stood from my bed and walked out of the room, down to the common room. Neither Zuko nor Iroh were to be found there.

"Prince Zuko and his uncle are on the deck, if you're looking for them," one of the men said. I bowed slightly, remembering Roku's words, and walked onto the deck of the ship. Zuko was staring out at the open sea and Iroh was next to him.

"I don't understand, Uncle. How could this have happened?" Zuko asked, obviously not aware of my presence.

"I know it is difficult, Prince Zuko, but you must decide what you will do with this knowledge," Iroh answered. I cleared my throat gently and they both turned to face me.

"Prince Zuko, what happened in the temple?" I asked firmly.

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**Yeah, I had to change up a lot for this chapter, but I think it turned out pretty well. Please R&R.**


	11. Chapter 10

**AH!!! You people have NO IDEA how much I want to put up chapter sixteen (which I JUST finished writing... at midnight...). Unfortunately, you guys will have to wait until I write chapter 22 before I can put it up.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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It had been some time after we'd left Roku's temple and Fire Nation waters. Zuko still wouldn't tell me what had happened at the temple, when I lost my memory of the events. Through speaking with Iroh, I learned that when the sanctuary doors opened, I appeared in the likeness of Roku. Then, with his power, I destroyed the temple, nearly killing everyone inside of it. Apparently I reached that state of immense power and control of all four elements because I had been able to save both Zuko and Iroh, flying them back to the ship. The idea that I'd done such a thing scared me. I didn't want to destroy or hurt needlessly.

I shuddered at the thought, pulling myself out of my daze and began watching as Zuko trained on the deck of the ship once again. He was sparring with one of his soldiers and I watched as the flames danced through the air. I had been sitting against the side of the ship, my knees tucked into my chest. Suddenly, the ship changed direction, knocking Zuko and the soldier off-balance and sending them into the wall. I gripped the railing to hold still and Zuko landed only a few feet away from me.

"Someone's changed our course," he said, more to himself than anyone else. I stood and followed him as he ran up to the helmsman. "What's the meaning of this mutiny?! No one told you to change course!"

"Actually, someone did," Iroh answered and I turned to see him sitting in front of a Pai Shō board with a few other men. "I assure you, it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko."

"Is it something to do with the Airbender?"

"Even more urgent. It seems I have lost my Lotus Tile." He then moved a piece on the tile board.

"Lotus Tile?" Zuko asked, clearly not understanding.

"For my Pai Shō game. Most people think the Lotus Tile insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ," Iroh explained.

"It's his favorite piece," I added.

"You changed our course for a stupid Lotus Tile?" Zuko asked.

"See, you, like most people, underestimate its value. Just give me ten minute to check the merchants at this Port of Caul. Hopefully, they'll have the Lotus Tile in stock and I can get on with my life." Zuko took a deep breath before shooting fire out of his mouth at the ceiling. He knew there was no way around this, but he wasn't pleased with it. "I'm lucky to have such an understanding nephew."

I chuckled softly, only to start coughing from the smoke that filled the room. Some time later, we arrived at the port and Iroh searched through the different stalls where merchants were selling their wares. Zuko was clearly unhappy, though I was enjoying myself.

"I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a Lotus Tile in the _entire_ marketplace," Iroh said.

"It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for _everyone!_" Zuko yelled.

"Quite the contrary. I always say the only thing better than finding something you are looking for is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" As he spoke, members of the crew walked by with the various items Iroh had bought.

"You bought a Tsungi Horn?" I asked as I watched the instrument go by.

"For music night on the ship. Now, if we only had some woodwinds." We began walking, but Iroh soon saw a ship in the harbor open as a shop. "Oh, this looks promising!"

I looked the ship up and down, frowning. I wasn't keen on the idea of walking onto another ship. Nonetheless, I followed Zuko and Iroh aboard the ship. Once inside, Iroh began browsing, taking great interest in a statue with some kind of red gem for a necklace and eyes. He wanted to put it in the galley.

"We lost the Water Tribe girl and the little bald monk she was traveling with," one of the men on the ship said, speaking to who appeared to be the captain. I looked in his direction, my eyes wide. Was he speaking of Aang and the girl he was traveling with? Zuko apparently had the same idea.

"This monk, did he have an arrow on his head?" he asked, stepping forward. The captain of the ship glanced up from his crew member.

"What's it to you?" he asked. Zuko smirked.

"I believe we can help each other."

This seemed to pique the captain's interest. The two of them began talking and it wasn't long before we were headed down the river in one of the smaller boats from within our ship. The pirates, as I had come to know, were sailing beside our ship. The captain was on our boat, beside Zuko. I stood on the deck as well, though I greatly disliked the idea of being on a ship with a bunch of pirates. They were untrustworthy and I wanted to make sure they didn't try anything with Zuko.

"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?" the pirate captain asked.

"We don't need to stop. They stole a Waterbending scroll, right?" Zuko retorted. The captain grunted an affirmative. "Then they'll be on the water." I sighed softly and leaned on the wall of the boat, staring out into the water. I heard a set of footsteps nearing me and I turned to see the owner. To my dismay, it was one of the pirates.

"Stay away from me," I warned. "I don't trust your kind."

"But you're hanging with a banished prince?" the man retorted. He was the one who had mentioned Aang and the Water Tribe girl in the ship. I scowled and turned back towards the water.

"That's none of your business."

"I make it my business to know." I scowled once more and turned to face him.

"Don't make me get that banished prince to kill you. One wrong word, and you'll be reduced to ashes."

While I was uncomfortable with the idea of threatening people, I had to remind myself it was for the better. Besides, Roku had told me I needed to act more like the Half I was. That meant I couldn't be the same, fearful servant girl I'd always been. The pirate slowly backed away. Hours later, we were still on the boat, searching for the Aang and his friends. As night fell, I slowly drifted off to sleep, leaning against the side of the boat.

I awoke the next morning, my back and neck sore. With a groan, I stood up, rubbing my neck in an attempt to massage it. I made a mental note to never fall asleep in that position again. I then noticed that the boat wasn't moving and was pulled onto a beach. I ran off it and quickly found Zuko, Iroh and the soldiers. They were standing in front of the Water Tribe girl. The pirates had just arrived and had Aang and the Water Tribe boy.

"Nice work," Zuko said.

"Zuko, what's going on here?" I asked.

"Go back to the boat, Kala." I heard the Water Tribe girl gasp.

"Kala?" she whispered. I glanced her way. Did she know who I was? Zuko began walking towards the pirates with a scroll in his hands.

"I'm not going anywhere," I answered firmly.

"Aang, this is all my fault."

"No, Katara, it isn't," Aang answered. I gasped and turned to face the girl, Katara. I finally figured out where I knew her from. She and her brother, Sokka, were close friends of mine when I lived in the Southern Water Tribe. We'd all changed over the years and that was why we didn't recognize each other.

"Yeah, it kind of is," Iroh answered, drawing me from my thoughts.

"Give me the boy," Zuko ordered, ignoring all of what had previously been said.

"You give us the scroll," the pirate captain answered.

"You're really going to hand over half the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment?" the Water Tribe boy asked. I realized he must have been Sokka, Katara's older brother. He was only a year younger than me, if memory served.

"Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other!" Zuko yelled. I realized Sokka's plan and smirked. While I wanted to help Zuko, I didn't want to see Aang captured. It was hard for me to choose whose side I was really on.

"Your friend is half the Avatar?" the pirate asked.

"Sure is. And I'm sure he'll fetch a lot more on the black market than that fancy scroll." Zuko was getting angrier.

"Shut your mouth, you Water Tribe peasant!" he yelled. That hurt. My hands clenched into fists and I could feel tears stinging my eyes.

"I'm just saying, it's bad business sense. Just imagine how much the Fire Lord would pay for him. You guys would be set for life."

"Keep the scroll," the pirate captain said to Zuko. "We can buy a hundred for the reward we get for the kid."

"You'll regret breaking a deal with me," Zuko answered.

He and his soldiers kicked flames at the men, knocking most of them down. The pirate who'd approached me the day before came forward, throwing smoke bombs at Zuko. I used my Waterbending to strike more of the pirates through the smoke. It wasn't long before someone grabbed my arms and pinned me to the ground. I looked up to see Sokka with a scowl on his face. It was at that moment Aang arrived as well, coming out of the smoke.

"Please, let me explain," I pleaded.

"Explain what? That you're on the Fire Nation's side?" Sokka retorted, pushing down harder on my arms.

"Sokka, don't!" Aang yelled. "She's on our side."

"Are you crazy, Aang? She's obviously working for Zuko."

"It's not like that… not entirely," I answered.

"She's the other Half," Aang added.

"My name is Kala. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe and am the daughter of Kalila and Bato."

"That's not possible! Kala was-"

"Taken by the Fire Nation when I was six years old. They didn't know I was a Waterbender. I lived and became a servant in the palace. Please, Sokka, you have to believe me." Sokka slowly released me and I stood.

"If you're really on our side, then you'll come with us."

"I can't do that," I whispered.

"Why not?!" he demanded.

"Because I just can't. Sokka, I promise, I'll join you eventually. I just… can't right now. It's not the right time, if that makes any sense. You guys have to get out of here as quickly as possible, though. And give Katara my hello." Sokka nodded and he and Aang ran off to where Katara was with the pirates' ship. I ran back to where Zuko was, to find him fighting with the pirate captain. At the moment I arrived, Iroh pulled them apart.

"Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?!" he demanded.

"We have no time for your proverbs, Uncle!" Zuko yelled.

"It's no proverb." He pointed behind me and we could see the pirates' ship leaving. I began laughing, knowing exactly who had done it.

"Bleeding hog-monkeys!" the pirate captain yelled and ran after his ship. Zuko began laughing as well. We then saw the other pirates floating away on our boat.

"Hey!" Zuko yelled and began running after it. "That's _my_ boat!"

"Maybe it _should_ be a proverb," Iroh mumbled.

He and I followed Zuko and I watched all the pirates jump off the boat and onto their ship. As soon as they did, I began Waterbending to pull the ship back towards us. It took all of the concentration I had, but I managed to pull the boat to land, though it wasn't perfectly landed. As soon as it was beached, I collapsed onto my hands and knees, panting heavily.

"That was incredible," Zuko murmured. I looked up at him, smiling softly.

"One of the perks of being a Waterbender," I answered weakly. Iroh then began chuckling.

"Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this," he said. "The Lotus Tile was in my sleeve the whole time!"

I groaned quietly, my arms still trembling from exhaustion. Zuko breathed in deeply a few times before taking the tile out of Iroh's hand and throwing it into the water. I forced myself to stand, but my knees buckled beneath me and I fell back to the ground. Zuko helped me stand and led me onto the boat. We all began on our way back to the ship.

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**Ah, another funny episode that I love... and I can FINALLY start referring to Katara and Sokka by their names! You have NO IDEA how hard it is to talk about people when you can't use their names in your story yet. I got tired of having to write "Aang and his friends" or "The Water Tribe girl/boy"... I can finally use their names! ... Yes, I'm happy about this... maybe I should get to bed before I lose my sanity completely... Please R&R.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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It had been a few days since our little Lotus Tile escapade and we were back onto searching for Aang. Well, I should say Zuko was. Personally, I wished I could have put it all behind me and lived a normal life, the one I was used to. Hunting down half of the Avatar, being the other Half… it was all too much. I didn't wish to dwell much on it. Instead, I merely let myself go wherever Zuko was headed next. Granted, that probably wasn't the best of choices for the world, but I was afraid of anything else.

I walked onto the deck just as Iroh took a deep breath. The sky was clear, not a cloud to be seen. It was a beautiful day, but I knew better. I could smell it in the air. This perfect day wouldn't last and by nightfall, we'd be hit with something big.

"There's a storm coming," Iroh said. "A big one." I nodded in agreement.

"You're out of your mind, Uncle," Zuko answered. "The weather's perfect. There's not a cloud in sight."

"It's the calm before the storm," I told him.

"It is approaching from the north. I suggest we alter our course and head southwest," Iroh said.

"We know the Airbender is traveling northward to meet Kala. So we will do the same," Zuko answered stubbornly.

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew."

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" At that moment, one of the crew members, Lieutenant Ji, walked by. Hearing what Zuko had said, he frowned and raised an eyebrow. Zuko began walking towards him. "Finding the Airbender is far more important than any individual's safety." With that, he turned and walked back inside the ship. I stared after him with a frown.

"He doesn't mean that. He's just all worked up," Iroh said. I sighed and walked to stand at the bow of the ship, staring ahead into the ocean. Iroh came and joined me. "Kala, you know as well as I do, Prince Zuko didn't mean what he'd said."

"I know," I murmured, placing my hand over my Water Tribe necklace. For some reason, I felt comforted by it. Perhaps it was because it had come from the woman who comforted me when I'd been captured. "But it still hurts."

That afternoon, I was still on the deck with Iroh, but more of the crew members had joined us. Coming straight for us were dark, ominous clouds. The storm was going to be harsh and we would need to take shelter. Zuko came onto the deck as well and saw the storm clouds. Lieutenant Ji turned around.

"Huh, looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all," he said and I frowned, turning away from the view of the sea.

"Lucky guess," Iroh said, hoping to keep the peace.

"Lieutenant, you'd better learn some respect, or I'll teach it to you," Zuko warned and began walking away.

"What do _you_ know about respect? The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard-working crew to your loyal friend to your esteemed uncle, shows you know nothing about respect! You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a spoiled prince?"

"That's enough!" I yelled, walking briskly forward. Zuko turned and stood in the stance to begin an Agni Kai, as did the lieutenant. I stood in between them with my arms outstretched. "I said _that's enough_! From both of you!"

"Stay out of this, Kala," Zuko warned.

"Not this time, Zuko. I'm not going to let you fight needlessly. You know I don't like that. And _you_, Lieutenant Ji, don't know what you're talking about. I suggest you refrain from proving your ignorance further." At this point, Iroh also stepped forward.

"We are all a bit tired from being at sea so long. I'm sure after a bowl of noodles, everyone will feel much better," he said calmly. Lieutenant Ji walked away and Zuko turned to face the bow.

"I don't need help keeping order on _my_ ship from either of you," he said harshly. Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder, but Zuko shrugged him off harshly and walked to stand at the tip of the bow. I frowned and moved to stand beside him.

"Zuko, I know you're angry, but that doesn't mean you should take it out on your crew… or the people who care about you," I whispered gently.

"You don't understand, Kala."

"What don't I understand? Zuko, I've been with you since I was six years old. I know the situation, I know the pain I've seen you through, I know _you_. There are only a few things about you that I _don't_ know, and I feel those are best left unknown to me. I _do_ know that this isn't the real you. You're always so angry and I wish I could help."

"This is beyond anything you can help with," he answered. I grabbed his shoulder and turned him so I could stare into his eyes. He was only a few inches taller than me.

"I won't let it be."

That evening, I walked through the ship alone and came upon a group of the men sitting around a fire. Among them was Lieutenant Ji. I stood just outside the room and watched as he took a long drink from the cup in his hand.

"I'm sick of taking his orders and I'm tired of chasing his Airbender. I mean, who does Zuko think he is?!" the lieutenant ranted.

"Do you really want to know?" Iroh asked as he entered the room. I followed in as well, my eyes downcast. The lieutenant immediately stood.

"General Iroh, we were just-"

"It's okay. May we join you?"

"Of course." Iroh and I sat by the fire and I tucked my knees up to my chest, staring at the dancing flames.

"Please, try to understand Zuko is a complicated young man," I said softly, my gaze never leaving the fire. The men all stared at me. "He's been through a lot of pain."

I looked up at Iroh and he nodded. He began telling the story of the day Zuko spoke out in the Fire Lord's War Chamber. It was the day Zuko faced his father in an Agni Kai, the day he received that scar from his father, the day he was banished, and the day I'd remember for the rest of my life.

"I looked away," Iroh said as he finished telling of the Agni Kai. Zuko's cry of pain still echoed in my mind and a tear fell from my eyes.

"So did I."

"I always thought that Prince Zuko was in a training accident," Ji said.

"It was no accident," I answered, my voice harsher than usual.

"After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness," Iroh continued. "As punishment, he was banished and sent to capture and kill the Avatar. Only _then_ could he return with his honor."

"So _that's_ why he so obsessed," the lieutenant murmured. "Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has at things returning to normal."

"Things will never return to normal," I hissed. Iroh rested a hand on my shoulder and began speaking again.

"The important thing is, the Avatar gives Zuko hope," he said. Iroh then whispered lower so only I could hear. "Both halves do."

Suddenly, there was a crash of thunder and lightning struck the ship. We all ran out onto the deck, where the rain was coming down hard and the waves were rising above the walls of the ship. If we didn't do something, the ship could capsize.

"Where were we hit?" Zuko asked, yelling over the storm. I ran to stand beside him.

"I don't know," Lieutenant Ji answered.

"Look!" Iroh yelled, pointing to the tower of the ship. There was smoke coming from it and my eyes widened in fear. There was a man dangling from the control room.

"The helmsman!" Zuko yelled. He and Lieutenant Ji began climbing up to save the man. I was going to follow, but Iroh grabbed my shoulder.

"Don't, Kala!"

I nodded and stared up at them, hoping they wouldn't be hit by lightning. Suddenly, a bolt came from the sky and was about to hit the deck. I watched in shock and terror as Iroh took the bolt and then redirected it into the ocean. Amazingly, he lived, though he was a little singed.

"Iroh!" I screamed and ran to his side. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine."

Zuko and the lieutenant soon came down with the helmsman, who was slightly injured but otherwise fine. I grabbed onto Zuko's arm, holding on tightly. After seeing Iroh being struck by lightning, my fear was getting the better of me. Tears began falling from my eyes as I trembled. I looked away from the floor long enough to see Aang's Flying Bison go by.

"The Airbender!" Zuko yelled.

"What do you want to do, Sir?" Lieutenant Ji asked. Zuko was silent for a moment before turning to face the lieutenant. He placed an arm around me.

"Let him go. We need to get this ship to safety."

"Then we must head directly into the eye of the storm," Iroh answered. We did just that, and only then did I release Zuko's arm.

"Kala, Uncle, I'm sorry," Zuko said quietly. Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder and I smiled softly.

"Your apology is accepted," Iroh answered.

"Same here," I added. Aang's Bison then popped out of the water and flew overhead, straight out through the eye of the storm. Zuko and I stared up at him, but no chase ensued. Zuko had already decided on keeping his crew safe. I smiled softly and rested my head on Zuko's shoulder. "Thank you, Zuko."

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**Please R&R.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Well, I got another chapter done for you guys to read. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala**

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Only days later, we were back to searching for Aang and his friends. I'd noticed, however, that Zuko had a habit of disappearing the past few nights. It seemed as though he had been nowhere to be found on the ship while we were in port at a harbor. It was strange, but I decided to leave the matter alone. It was none of my business. Zuko and Lieutenant Ji were looking down at a map, trying to track down where Aang could have gone next.

"We haven't been able to pick up the Airbender's trail since the storm, but if we continue heading northeast," the lieutenant started, but cut himself off when a large shadow darkened the room. A frown crossed my features as we watched another Fire Nation ship slow to a stop beside us. It was one much larger than our own. I was reminded of the day of Zuko's Agni Kai with Zhao and how small our ship looked compared to the others in the harbor.

"What do _they_ want?" Zuko wondered aloud.

"Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Shō," Iroh suggested, rubbing his hands together.

I glanced back at him and figured he must have been winning his match. A few men from the other ship came aboard ours and entered the room we were all gathered in. Zuko crossed his arms over his chest as one of the men opened a scroll. On the parchment was a wanted poster for Aang. My eyes widened slightly and I glanced at Zuko.

"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance," the messenger said. "All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao."

"Admiral?" I repeated in surprise. He'd been promoted again?!

"Zhao has been promoted?" Iroh asked, moving another tile on the Pai Shō board. "Well, good for him."

"I've got nothing to report to Zhao," Zuko answered, his voice taking on a harsher tone than usual. "Now get off my ship and let us pass."

"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area," the messenger said. This sparked Zuko's anger further.

"Off my ship!" he yelled. The men turned and left the room.

"Excellent! I take the pot!" Iroh exclaimed as he won his game. "But you're all improving. I'm certain you will win if we play again." I rolled my eyes with a small smile, knowing he was trying to con them into another game. I then turned to look at Zuko as he stared out the window.

"I could always move their ship," I suggested quietly.

"You can barely move a small boat," he retorted.

"It'll take a lot of effort, but I'm half the Avatar." Zuko didn't answer. Instead, he turned away and left the room, his hands clenched into tight fists. I frowned as I stared after him. Iroh looked up from his Pai Shō board to stare into my eyes.

"Come play a friendly game of Pai Shō with me, Kala," he offered. "I'll go easy on you." I smiled softly and nodded, sitting across from him on the board. The tiles were distributed and Iroh went first, placing the White Lotus in the center of the board. "Something is troubling you." I nodded with a sigh and placed my own tile down.

"May I speak honestly with you, Sir?" I asked, glancing pointedly at the three men watching our game.

"Of course. Would you men excuse us? The secrets of a young woman's heart and mind are best left to the one she confides in." The three men left quickly and we were silent for a few moments after, continuing with our game. "I believe they're gone now," Iroh said with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Now, what troubles you, my dear?" I sighed softly.

"It's Zhao. What he's doing isn't right."

"He is chasing after the Avatar, just as Prince Zuko has been for almost three years now."

"It's different," I answered, moving another tile.

"How so?" Iroh asked.

"Zuko's been searching for the Halves because he believes it's the only way it can restore his honor, the only way he can go home. Zhao's doing it simply because he wants to show that he's better. I could see it in the way he spoke back at that Fire Nation harbor. He has all the wrong reasons!"

"If it had been Zhao who discovered what you were before Prince Zuko, what would you have done?"

"I would have killed him before he had the chance to kill me," I answered automatically.

"But you didn't do that to Prince Zuko," Iroh pointed out. I looked down at the Pai Shō board and moved one of my pieces.

"I told you, Iroh, it's different. Zuko's my best friend. I trust him more than anyone else in the world. Somehow, I guess I just knew he wasn't going to kill me." Iroh stared down at the board and appeared to be deep in thought. It must have been over what I'd said because I was far from his level in Pai Shō. He moved another one of his tiles, removing one of my own.

"And if you could do anything at this moment, what would it be?" he asked.

"To get Zhao out of the way so we could continue onto the North Pole." Iroh nodded before smiling.

"It appears I have won." I looked down at the board again, realizing he was right. I chuckled softly and stood.

"Thank you, Iroh. Talking to you really helps."

"My pleasure, Kala," he answered. Some time later, he and I walked onto the deck of the ship, where we found Zuko training, though his movements appeared to be out of anger more than anything. They were swift and random, having no real direction at all.

"Are you alright?" I asked him carefully.

"It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order," Iroh added.

"I don't care what they do!" Zuko yelled.

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Airbender before Zhao."

"How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Airbender!" Behind the anger in Zuko's eyes, I could see sorrow and hopelessness. It was a look I'd seen far too many times in the past. Zuko turned away, his voice dropping. "My honor, my throne, my country. I'm about to lose them all."

That evening, Zuko disappeared again. I'd searched everywhere on the ship I was allowed and asked the crew if he'd been in the areas I was not permitted. No one had seen him. Upon hearing this news from everyone I asked, a frown crossed my lips and I ran up onto the deck. We'd anchored close to land for the night and I stared out onto the landscape before me.

"Zuko, where did you go?" I whispered.

It wasn't until the next morning he showed up again, coming in one of the smaller boat. I looked up at him with tired eyes as he walked briskly past Iroh and me. I had gotten little sleep the night before. It appeared as though Zuko was tired as well, from the look in his eyes.

"Where have you been, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked. "You missed music night. Lieutenant Ji sang a stirring love song."

"I'm going to bed. No disturbances," Zuko answered simply as he walked inside the ship, rubbing the side of his head. Iroh shrugged and began playing the Tsungi Horn, a beautiful melody flowing from the instrument. I frowned as I stared after Zuko. Just what was he hiding?

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**This was basically supposed to be "The Blue Spirit" episode, but since Kala doesn't know about the Blue Spirit, I had to come up with something else. Please R&R.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala.**

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Later that day, I was still wondering what Zuko could have been hiding from us. Normally, I wouldn't have given it much thought. After all, who I was I to meddle in his affairs? Something just didn't feel quite right, though. Zuko was acting a bit strangely and it worried me. What could have been going on that he couldn't tell Iroh or me?

That afternoon, when Zuko was training on-deck, I snuck into his room. I knew it was an invasion of privacy, and it wouldn't end well if I were caught. I'd have to be careful to make sure I wasn't found snooping about. Closing the door silently behind me, I began glancing around the room for anything unusual. There was nothing in plain sight. The bed was neatly made, the two broad swords hung on the wall, crossed over each other, and the unlit candles where Zuko did his meditation were nearing their end. It was perfectly normal.

I knew Zuko, though. If he wanted to hide something, he wouldn't leave it in plain sight. He'd make sure it would be somewhere no one would think to look. I frowned slightly in frustration, trying to think of where Zuko would hide whatever it was he didn't want us to know. There must have been _some_ physical evidence of where he'd disappeared to the past few days. If only I knew what to look for in the first place. I sighed softly and began walking around the room, carefully moving and replacing various items in an attempt to find what something that would help me figure out what Zuko had been up to.

A half hour later, I still hadn't discovered anything. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in his room. I sighed softly and rubbed my forehead. What was I doing? I shouldn't have been snooping around in Prince Zuko's room. It wasn't right, nor was it my place to. I shook my head and rested my hand on top of one of the shelves. A candlestick fell and landed on the floor. As I reached down to pick it up, I noticed a small black strap sticking out from beneath the small bookcase. I reached underneath and pulled out whatever the item was. When I saw it, I gasped and dropped it. I chuckled softly at my own jumpiness. It was only a blue mask with white trimmings. What had scared me about it was that it was designed to look like some kind of demon. Why Zuko had it and would be hiding it was beyond me, though. With a shrug, I pushed it back beneath the bookcase and replaced the candlestick where it belonged before exiting the room. As I walked up to the deck, I saw Lieutenant Ji.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant," I greeted with a bow of my head. He did the same.

"Good afternoon, Kala. Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Oh, no, I'm fine... Well, actually, I was wondering if anything interesting has happened lately on land. Would you happen to know?"

"I heard the Airbender we've been following was captured by Admiral Zhao yesterday, but he was able to escape in the middle of the night." I sighed softly in relief when he said Aang had been able to escape. Lieutenant Ji must have taken my relief with the wrong meaning. "It's fortunate for Prince Zuko that the Airbender was able to escape from the admiral." I glanced up at Lieutenant Ji.

"Yeah, good thing," I murmured, my mind on a completely different track. I was happy Aang had escaped, but more for his own sake than Zuko's. Zhao would have done terrible things to Aang. I wasn't so sure Zuko would even kill him anymore, considering he'd had the chance with me. I nodded and continued to walk up to the deck, where I saw Zuko training alone. I assumed Iroh was inside. "May I join you?" Zuko abruptly stopped and turned to face me.

"How well can you fight on your own?" he asked. I glanced away. I'd hardly fought with my Waterbending before. I'd seen Katara do it a few times. From watching her motions, I was able to pick up on a few moves, but the only real fights I was in were with those Earthbending soldiers, and against the pirates.

"Not very well. That's why I want to train with you more. It'll help."

Zuko nodded and stood in an offensive stance. I smiled softly and took on a defensive position, drawing water up from the sea. Zuko made the first move, shooting a burst of fire in my direction. I bent the water around me as a shield, putting out the flames in an instant. Then, I sent the water straight at Zuko. He ducked and rolled to avoid it before kicking up a wave of fire at me. Pulling the water back, I used it to propel myself into the air, over the flames, and a few feet closer to Zuko. He was back on his feet already and launching another string of attacks. Using my Waterbending to block each of the attacks, I was able to find a break in his attacks. Taking that opportunity, I used a whip made of the water to knock Zuko back onto the deck. I quickly advanced, freezing the water around his ankles to keep him from standing again.

Zuko, resourceful as ever, quickly melted the ice and shot fire at me from his feet. I jumped up to avoid it, only to find more fire coming directly at me while I was in the air. There was no way for me to avoid it this time. Zuko's widened and I figured he must have forgotten that I wasn't at the level he was used to fighting. I screamed out of fear and sent the largest stream of water I could directly at the flames. I succeeded in putting out the flames, but I also sent Zuko flying backwards. He almost fell off the ship entirely. As soon as my feet were on the floor, I ran forward to make sure he was alright. Before I could take more than a few steps, he leapt forward and pinned me to the deck of the ship, his hands holding my arms down with an iron grip and his legs keeping mine still. I couldn't breathe for a moment and only stared up at Zuko in shock.

"Never let your guard down in the face of an enemy," he said sternly before standing. I sat up, nodding my head and looked down at the metal deck beneath me. I'd made a stupid mistake. Granted, I knew I wasn't anywhere near Zuko's level in a fight and was bound to lose. "You won't have to worry about holding your own in battle." My head snapped up and I stared at Zuko in shock. I smiled softly at him. It wasn't often that Zuko gave out compliments. To say that he was pleased with my performance was something I hadn't expected.

"Thank you, Zuko," I answered as I stood.

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**Hmmm... this chapter's a little shorter than what I like to put out, but not by too much, I don't think. It'll get better later on, I promise.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Ooh... this was a fun chapter to write. Mainly, you'll see some inner conflict, humor, familial emotions... things like that. Have fun reading. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters.**

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A few days later, I was sitting with Iroh and Zuko, drinking tea with them in Zuko's room. The four candles were lit and there was an overall calming feel about the room. Every once in a while, my gaze would drift towards the bookshelf where that strange blue mask was hiding, but I decided not to dwell on it much. I drank my jasmine tea quietly.

"See, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, pouring a cup for his nephew. "A moment of quiet is good for your mental well-being."

I nodded in agreement, setting my cup on the table in front of me. Just as Zuko was about to take a sip from his tea, something rocked the ship, causing the drink to jump out of the cup and on his face. I covered my mouth to hold back a laugh and followed Zuko and Iroh as they went onto the deck to investigate what had caused the disturbance. Once on deck, we could see a large, strange animal climb onto the ship, a woman with long black hair riding on its back.

"Get back!" she yelled. "We're after a stowaway."

"There are no stowaways on my ship," Zuko answered sternly.

The beast roared and ripped up some of the metal on the deck, creating a large hole. It spit out the metal sheet, narrowly missing us and our soldiers, and stuck its muzzle into the hole it'd created. It roared as a man came out of the hole, trying to run away. The beast hit him with its tongue and he fell to the ground, unable to move.

"He's paralyzed," I murmured.

"Only temporarily," the woman answered, picking up the stowaway. "The toxins will wear off in about an hour but by then he'll be in jail and I'll have my money."

"But how did you find him on my ship?" Zuko asked. The woman threw the man onto the back of her creature before mounting it herself.

"My Shirshu can smell a rat a continent away."

"Well, I'm impressed," Iroh said. The woman used her whip on the Shirshu and it leaped off the ship and onto the docks. "Very impressed."

That evening, we went to a local tavern, where we found the woman arm-wrestling a man two or three times her size. They appeared to be at equal levels of strength and I found myself hoping I'd never have to fight her. Zuko pushed through the crowd of people gathered around and stood at the table.

"I need to talk to you," he told the woman.

"Well, if it isn't my new friends," the woman said. "Angry Boy, Uncle Lazy and Water Tribe Wannabe." She glanced pointedly at my necklace and I glared at her. Iroh started laughing and the woman slammed down the hand of the man she was arm-wrestling. It seemed as though she'd only been toying with him before. Everyone in the tavern began cheering, throwing coins down for her.

"Your beast trashed my ship. You have to pay me back!"

"I'd love to help you out, but I'm a little short on money. Drinks on me!" This earned even more cheering from the men around us. I cringed away from them and stood closer to Zuko and Iroh. I hated being in a place like that. The woman started to take a drink from her cup, but Zuko grabbed her wrist.

"Money isn't what I had in mind," he answered.

He pulled her out of the tavern. The woman told us her name was Jun. Once outside, she leaned against her Shirshu and I watched as Zuko pulled something out of his pocket. I stared in shock when I realized it was a necklace much like my own. My hand immediately went to my necklace as I gasped quietly. That must have been what he'd had in his hand when he returned that evening I learned to play Pai Shō.

"A Water Tribe necklace," I whispered.

"I need you to find someone," Zuko said, holding up the necklace.

"What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?" Jun asked. I frowned and glanced away.

"It's not the girl I'm after. It's the bald monk she's traveling with." I snapped my head back to look at the necklace. It was Katara's?! How had Zuko gotten a hold of it in the first place?

"Whatever you say."

"If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship paid for."

"Forget it," Jun answered, climbing onto her Shirshu.

"Plus we'll pay your weight in gold," Iroh offered. Jun jumped down from the beast.

"Make it _your_ weight and we've got a deal." Iroh laughed heartily.

"You got it." Jun took the necklace from Zuko's hand and began walking back to her beast.

"Get on," she ordered.

We did so as she allowed the Shirshu to sniff the necklace. I sat behind Zuko and gripped his armor tightly so I wouldn't fall. Iroh was right in front of him. Jun jumped onto the creature and it shot forward. I yelled out in surprise and wrapped my arms completely around Zuko, suddenly very afraid of falling off of that animal. I didn't think it would have been that fast. We traveled all through the night and into the next day, going wherever Katara's scent led the Shirshu. We came to one town in which the beast stopped in front of a large, circular door. Standing beside the door was an old woman.

"Why are we stopping here?" Zuko demanded.

"Because the girl must have spent a lot of time here," Jun answered and my brow furrowed. Why on Earth would Katara spend so much time here?

"We have not time for this." I let go of Zuko as he grabbed the necklace from Jun's hand and jumped down, putting it in front of the Shirshu's snout. The beast tried to hit him with its tongue, which he barely avoided.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Oh, look, he likes you," Jun said and I couldn't help but chuckle along with Iroh. The old woman at the door stepped forward and looked up at him.

"Care to hear your fortune, handsome?" she asked.

"At my age, there is really only one big surprise left and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery," he answered.

Zuko mounted the Shirshu again and I held onto him as it darted away once more. Hours later, we came to a secluded abbey in the middle of the forest. The Shirshu burst through the doors and I could tell from the smell that the women there had been making some kind of perfume. Jun noted that we were getting close and we quickly left the abbey. I was becoming more nervous the closer we got to finding Katara. What was I going to do if it really came down to me choosing between Zuko and Aang? Would I stay with the one I cared most for, or would I join the other Half, betraying Zuko? It wasn't long before we found Katara and Sokka on a dirt path, but Aang wasn't with them. My eyes widened in surprised as I realized this. The Shirshu cornered them and I could see the fear in their eyes.

"So this is your girlfriend?" Jun asked, speaking to Zuko. "No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you." Zuko ignored her comment and jumped off the Shirshu.

"Where is he?!" he demanded. "Where's the Airbender?!"

"We split up. He's long gone," Sokka answered.

"How stupid do you think I am?"

"Pretty stupid… Run!" Sokka and Katara both tried to run away, but the Shirshu hit them with its tongue, temporarily paralyzing them.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Zuko asked. I jumped off the Shirshu and ran to kneel beside Sokka and Katara.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen," I whispered. Sokka glared harshly at me. The Shirshu came forward and started sniffing around him.

"It's seeking a different scent, perhaps something that the Airbender held," Jun said.

The Shirshu pushed something out of the top of Sokka's backpack. It was a piece of paper. Sniffing it, it caught the trail of a new person: Aang. Sokka and Katara were both loaded onto the back of the Shirshu, right behind me. I looked down at them and they both appeared to be angry with me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"How can we be sure you're the same Kala we knew when we were kids?" Sokka asked. "People change in ten years."

"I wish there was some way I could prove to you that I'm not against you."

"You know," Katara said. "We saw your dad."

"Papa," I gasped, my eyes growing wide. "You saw him?"

"Yeah. You just missed him. We'd split up to go with him, but then decided to go back with Aang," Sokka answered.

"I wish I could have seen him, if only for a moment."

"We told him you were alive, and that you're a Half."

"And…"

"He cried."

A tear fell from my eyes and I rested my forehead on Zuko's back. Though I didn't know my father for very long, I knew he wasn't one to cry. He was a strong warrior. To hear that he cried over the knowledge that I was alive and what I was, it was an overpowering emotion. Before I had a chance to dwell on it, though, we arrived back at the abbey, bursting through the door once again. I looked up as the women in the abbey ran away from us again. The Shirshu began circling one area.

"What's it doing?" Zuko demanded. "It's just going in a circle!" I looked up in time to see Aang fly down from high above us. The Shirshu reared back in an attempt to hit him, but only succeeded in knocking us all off it.

"Aang!" Katara called happily, even though she'd landed roughly on the hard ground.

I groaned as I sat up, rubbing my now sore arm. Jun mounted her Shirshu again and ran forward to try and attack Aang again. Before they could reach him, Aang's bison hit the Shirshu broadside, knocking into a wall. Zuko ran to confront Aang while I pulled Katara and Sokka away from where the battle would be taking place. I hoped I wouldn't have to fight, because I wasn't ready to make my decision yet.

"I hate this," I murmured.

"Hate what?" Katara asked. I glanced behind me to see Zuko throwing flames at Aang, who used his Airbending to block them. Most of Aang's movements were for defense, much like in Waterbending. They both hit each other at once with their elements, creating what appeared to be a large explosion.

"That." I watched as Zuko and Aang were thrown into the roofs of two buildings opposite each other. "I don't like trying to be neutral."

"Then don't," Sokka answered. "Pick the good guys' side."

"But who's the good guy?"

"Aang, of course!"

"You don't understand, Sokka. There's so much more to this than you could ever understand."

"Why do you say that?" Katara asked.

"Because you weren't there when this fate was forced upon Zuko. I saw every moment of it, starting with Lady Ursa."

"So you think what he's doing is justified?!" Sokka demanded. "He's trying to kill the Earth's only hope at peace!"

"He hasn't tried to kill me yet. And I think his reasons are more justified than Zhao's."

The sounds of fighting continued above and I looked up to see Zuko thrown into a wall that reached higher than the rest of the buildings. It was like a look-out point. Aang advanced on him with a stream of air, which Zuko barely dodged and slid down from the roof. I looked back to Sokka and Katara sadly.

"Hey! I'm starting to get some feeling back." At that moment, shingles from the roof fell on us and I yelled out, more out of annoyance than anything. "Ow…"

"Are you guys okay?" I asked, moving the debris off them.

"Yeah. Kala, why are you so insistent on staying with Zuko? He could kill you at any moment," Katara asked. I looked down at the ground.

"It's complicated." I glanced behind me to see Zuko and Aang battle atop a well. It almost reminded me of a dance. Katara gasped and I turned back to her.

"You've fallen in love with him in the past ten years, haven't you?"

"What?! No, of course not! That's ridiculous!" I answered quickly. Even to myself, it seemed as though I'd answered _too_ quickly. Katara gave me a shocked look while Sokka had an expression of disgust. "That's beside the point. Can you stand?"

Both of them used the wall behind them to try and push themselves into a standing position. That was when one of the women of the abbey came out with a small vial in her hands. She placed it under Sokka's nose, then Katara's, and they were able to move freely again. My eyes widened in surprise at the potency of the perfume.

"That thing sees with its nose," Sokka said now that he was fully mobile. "Let's give him something to look at."

"The perfume?" I asked.

Sokka nodded and looked over at a row of large jars filled with the perfume the women made. I looked around to see that Zuko and Jun with her Shirshu had Aang cornered, desperately trying to dodge the beast's tongue. Sokka and the women of the abbey poured the perfume on the ground and I ran out of the way as Katara began bending it, sending a wave of perfume to cover everyone. The Shirshu had a sensory overload and thrashed around, knocking Jun back and whipping anyone he could with his tongue. He hit Zuko and I ran over to help, only to be hit myself. I yelled out as I landed on top of Zuko and watched as Iroh caught Jun, who had also been hit. I blushed furiously as I realized the awkward position I was in.

"Uncle, I didn't see you get hit with the tongue," Zuko said.

Iroh raised a finger to his lips, shushing his nephew. Jun's eyes snapped open and I could see the rage in her eyes. I knew Iroh was going to be smacked as soon as she was able to move again. I tried to move in any way, only to growl in annoyance when my attempts proved futile. It appeared we were going to be stuck that way for about an hour.

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**I didn't mention this in the chapter (mainly because I figured Kala wouldn't see it) but did anyone notice Iroh's little five-finger discount in that episode? XD Anyway, please R&R.**


	16. Chapter 15

**_This_ is why I made sure to have six extra chapters every time I posted. I haven't been able to watch the necessary episodes to write chapter 21 of this story. Rather than making all of you wait for months on end until I get a _working_ laptop and wireless internet, I have the next chapter already prepared. Heck, I've had this chapter ready since the middle of summer. So, here's the next chapter of "Call My Name."**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only have Kala and any random OCs I add in.**

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We had completely lost sight of Aang and his friends. For weeks, where was no news on where they had gone, nor were there any sightings of the Flying Bison. It was as if they'd disappeared off the face of the Earth. Needless to say, Zuko was far from pleased with this knowledge. Iroh had said that we could only assume Aang, Katara and Sokka were ahead of us and possibly already at the North Pole. Call me selfish, but I didn't bring up my knowledge of them going to the Earth Kingdom.

"What are we going to do about sending Kala into the Northern Water Tribe?" Iroh asked as we sat in the common room. I glanced at Zuko and then at the floor. "We very well can't go with her. They would never allow a Fire Nation ship near them, let alone the Prince."

"You'll have to go on your own in one of the boats," Zuko answered, speaking to me. "We'll pull into a harbor as close as we can, and then you'll go with one of my soldiers to steer the boat."

"They will both need to wear a different style of clothing."

"There's no disguising a Fire Nation soldier," I answered, causing Zuko to glance my way. I averted my eyes briefly. "I mean, in the Water Tribe. Just, look at the differences between you and me, Zuko. You're pale while I'm naturally tanned. I have blue eyes, you have golden. I have brown hair, yours is black. Disguising a soldier as someone from the Water Tribe would be impossible. You'd have to make him look like he was from the Earth Kingdom, and even then, he still may not be allowed into the city."

"But you will."

"Possibly. I don't know how strict the Northern Water Tribe is. I don't even remember what it was like being in the Southern Water Tribe."

"If you tell them that you are Half the Avatar, I'm sure they will allow you in, if not the soldier," Iroh answered.

"I suppose," I murmured. Frankly, I was afraid to go alone to the Northern Water Tribe. What if they didn't believe me when I said I was a Half? Would they allow me in from the knowledge that I was a Waterbender? I supposed if nothing else, I could tell them I ran away from the Southern Water Tribe as a refugee.

"I'll send Lieutenant Ji with you," Zuko said and I looked up at him in surprise. Ever since the storm, Lieutenant Ji became the one member of the crew that Zuko trusted with getting the job done. I knew I was in good hands with him, but I wondered how safe he would be.

A few nights later, we pulled into a harbor and Zuko had a boat prepared for me to leave with Lieutenant Ji. He didn't know I was a Half, and it was probably best that way. I brought a few things that I knew I'd need, including a thick, white coat. It was from the Fire Nation, but it would keep me warm in the freezing temperatures that surrounded the North Pole. Lieutenant Ji didn't have much in the way of a disguise. He merely didn't wear his Fire Nation armor and instead wore all black clothes. He'd also brought along a black coat for when we neared the Northern Water Tribe. The lieutenant knew very well that his mission to escort me would be dangerous. After all, there was no telling what the Northern Waterbenders would do.

"Zuko, I can't thank you enough for this," I whispered. The boat was almost ready for use and I would be leaving with Lieutenant Ji soon.

"Be careful out there," he answered sternly.

I nodded with a small smile and entered the boat with the lieutenant. Zuko gave him a few instructions before we were lowered into the water. I stared back at the ship as the gate was raised, blocking all view of the inside of the ship. We had officially embarked on my journey to the North Pole. Thankfully, we were close and it would only take a day or so before we reached the icy land. I was ecstatic at the idea of learning from a Waterbending master. I'd finally be able to do more with my gift and would no longer have to teach myself.

"If you don't mind my asking," Lieutenant Ji said, breaking me from my thoughts, "why did Prince Zuko send you to find the Airbender in the North Pole?" I turned around with a small smile.

"I'm the only one who would be able to go within the city because I'm a Waterbender. I was born in the Southern Water Tribe."

"How long have you been a servant of the prince?"

"Since I was six years old. I was taken from my home ten years ago."

"I don't understand why you didn't leave when we went to the South Pole. You could have rejoined your family, gone back to a normal lifestyle."

"There's a lot more to my situation that you're allowed to know, Lieutenant." He nodded, understanding my subtle hint and turned his attention back towards steering the boat. I went to bed soon after, but found it difficult to fall asleep. I wasn't sure if it was nerves or excitement that kept me awake.

The next afternoon, we were nearing the North Pole, if the icebergs were any indication. I had my coat buttoned closed and I breathed into my hands to keep them from freezing. I stood just outside the room Lieutenant Ji was steering the boat. It may not have been the warmest of places, but it would allow me to be on deck quickly in the event other Waterbenders came. My precaution was proven necessary when, at about mid-afternoon, large pillars of ice shot out of the water. I screamed out and used my own Waterbending to help Lieutenant Ji navigate our boat away from the pillars. More shot up, effectively stopping the boat without damaging the hull.

"Stop the engines!" I yelled to Lieutenant Ji and quickly heard the motor slow to a stop. By doing so, we lessened the chance of forcing damage to the boat. A group of boats came into sight and I gasped quietly. "Other Waterbenders." One of the men from what appeared to be the lead boat used his Waterbending to cross the freezing ocean and board our boat.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"My name is Kala. I'm a Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. I'm also Half of the Avatar." My voice was slightly lower as I spoke the last part. I wanted to make sure Lieutenant Ji didn't know that bit of information. The man's eyes widened in shock.

"Then why are you on a Fire Nation boat?"

"I had no other means of transportation." The man frowned and shoved open the door to where Lieutenant Ji was. His eyebrows furrowed and I watched as he began lifting water from the sea.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"My escort. I only paid him to bring me here and was intending to send him home when I found you."

"We won't bring him into the city, but we can bring you."

"That's all I can ask," I answered with a slight bow of my head.

I waved to Lieutenant Ji, smiling softly, and allowed myself to be led off the boat. The Water Tribe boats quickly left and I watched as a few stayed behind to make sure Lieutenant Ji left. I hoped he would make it back to Zuko's ship safely while I trained to become a stronger Waterbender. I then realized a whole new predicament. How would I leave once I learned all I needed?

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**Thanks for reading. Please R&R.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Again, I haven't written another chapter and and again, I'm putting up one that was finished months ago. Why haven't I been writing for this story? A few reasons, really. 1) I've been really busy. 2)I can't watch the episodes online until I get a working laptop. 3)I'm kinda obsessed with another fandom that's taking priority in my mind...though my muse has been too lazy to help me write for it.**

**So, hopefully I'll be able to continue writing for _this_ story sooner rather than later. Until then, here is my favorite chapter thus far.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of the characters. I only own Kala and the random OCs I add in here and there... namely here. XD**

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I stared in awe as we neared the Northern Water Tribe. The outer wall was a made of thick ice and snow, and there was a carving to depict the moon and waves. It was a symbol of the Water Tribes. Even outside the walls, I could see beauty.

"My goodness," I whispered in awe. "The Northern Water Tribe."

The Waterbenders escorting me inside opened part of the walls, leading to a chamber between the inner and outer walls. The chamber was then filled with water before the inner wall came down, allowing us inside the city. Once inside, my eyes widened even more, if possible. The city was large and beautiful, constructed completely out of ice. There were no roads, only canals of water, which the men on the boat with me navigated expertly. I noticed people staring as we passed and couldn't stop the blush on my cheeks. Another boat passed by and I saw a young woman, about my age, with white hair. She was alone with only a Waterbender to move the gondola. She was seated neatly in the boat and she smiled as she passed.

"Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe, Avatar Kala," the man leading the boat said.

"It's beautiful. And, please, just call me Kala. Technically, I'm not a full Avatar anyway."

I was brought to the palace, where I met Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe. He greeted me with open arms and I was quickly whisked away by maids to be tended to. In all honesty, it felt strange to be the one pampered. I'd always been a servant, never served. The women found Water Tribe clothes for me, including a much warmer parka to wear. They dressed my hair in a typical Water Tribe style, putting it in one long braid.

That evening, I was invited to a feast in the main hall of the palace. The room was large with an extravagant show of waterfalls and fountains. I found every part of the Northern Water Tribe beautiful, especially now that I was better dressed for the weather. I was seated at a long table, Chief Arnook to my right. In all honesty, it felt very awkward to have so much attention on me, as many of the guests were looking my way. I gulped silently and turned my attention to the giant crab that was being boiled in the center of the room. I'd never seen one of that size before in my life. Chief Arnook stood, and I looked up at him as he began to speak.

"Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our sister from the Southern Tribe and she is someone very special, Half of the Avatar," he announced. Applause erupted from the guests and I waved shyly, feeling very self-conscious. "We also celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday." Chief Arnook stepped aside and the girl who walked out was the same one I'd seen earlier that day. Her coat was different from everyone else's blue, being a royal purple. "Princess Yue is now of marrying age!"

My eyes widened in shock. Marrying age?! She was sixteen and he already planned to have her married? I found this shocking, but shook my head at my thoughts. I'd grown up in the Fire Nation, so it was only natural I didn't understand why one would be married _that_ young. I briefly wondered if it was that way in the Southern Water Tribe as well.

"Thank you, Father," Princess Yue answered. "May the great Ocean and Moon Spirits watch over us during these troubled times."

"Now Master Pakku and his students will perform!"

I watched as an elderly man moved along with two younger men, bending the water around them. Their movements were so fluid-like and I found myself already studying how they flowed with the water. Princess Yue sat beside me and greeted me with a smile.

"It is an honor to have Half of the Avatar in our palace," she said politely.

"I feel honored to be here," I answered honestly. "There's so much I would love to learn, so much about my own culture that I'd love to experience."

"What do you mean?" I quickly covered my mouth as I realized my mistake. I sighed softly and pulled my hand away.

"To be honest, I know very little about any Water Tribe. I was taken from my home when I was six years old, in a Fire Nation raid."

"That's terrible!" I was about to tell her that it wasn't really all that bad, but I figured it was best I didn't. The last thing I needed was for people to be thinking I supported the Fire Lord.

"Lady Kala," Chief Arnook said and I looked up at him in surprise. It was the first time I'd been addressed by anything that I thought related to royalty. "Please, come with me."

"Yes, Sir," I answered and followed him across the room and up the stairs to stand before the elderly man who had performed. I could only assume he was Master Pakku.

"Master Pakku, meet your newest student, Half of the Avatar." I bowed to him out of respect, still remembering Roku's words to me. _Never to the floor will you bow again_.

"Just because you're meant to save the world, don't expect any more special treatment. You're lucky you're being taught at all," Master Pakku told me. I looked at him with confusion.

"I'm honored to be learning from a master, but may I ask why I am so lucky to be taught?"

"If you weren't a Half, you wouldn't be taught how to Waterbend at all."

"Excuse me?"

"In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn Waterbending. I'll see you at sunrise. Goodnight," he answered and walked away. I stared after him incredulously. Even in the Fire Nation, I'd been treated with more respect as a female servant than I was by him as a female Half.

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The next morning, at dawn, I met Master Pakku at his training grounds, where I'd been instructed to go. I approached him as he was bending a bit of water between his hands. I bowed slightly and murmured a polite greeting before moving to stand with the other students. I noticed more than a couple of stares from the younger men as I stood with them.

"Don't think you're going to be any better than us. In fact, I'll be surprised if you make it to our level," one of the boys said. I glanced at him sharply.

"And why do you say that?" I asked, keeping my voice as calm and polite as possible. Growing up as a servant, I'd learn exactly how to mask any irritation in my voice in order to please the royalty.

"Because women just aren't good Waterbenders. It's a fact of nature."

"Oh, really? So, you don't believe I could possibly match you, even though I'm Half of the Avatar?"

"Not a chance."

"If you're so powerful, why don't _you_ face the Fire Lord and end this hundred-year war?" As I spoke my voice still held a pleasant tone. I heard someone chuckle from behind me and walk forward.

"She's got you there, man," a boy in the same age group I was said. He then turned to me. "Don't listen to any of them. They've just got the minds of these old men running around here. My name's Kayl." This boy was handsome, with strong facial features and dark brown hair that was pulled into a warrior's wolf tail. His eyes were the color of the sky and they held a kindness I hadn't seen in a long time.

"I'm Kala," I answered with a smile, shaking his hand.

"After today's lesson, would you like me to show you around the city?"

"I'd like that."

"Let's get started!" Master Pakku ordered and the boys around me turned to face him. I did so as well, though I was a bit slower than they were. "Kala, step forward." I jumped slightly as he called my name, but I did as he said.

"Yes, Master Pakku."

"Show us some of what you can do. Kokai, spar with her for a bit." The boy who'd made the sexist comments stepped forward and I frowned. Somehow, I knew this would be unpleasant.

I found my prediction to be proven accurate after I'd been thrown to the icy ground dozens of times by the freezing water Kokai had thrown at me. This, of course, brought great amusement to many of my peers. In fact, only Kayl look displeased by the show.

"Looks like the great Half isn't capable of much," Kokai taunted.

"I'd like to see you try to learn in secrecy!" I yelled back, causing all laughter to quickly cease.

Master Pakku stepped forward. I stood to meet his eyes and nodded my head out of respect. The lesson continued with me learning alongside the young men. For the most part, I was able to keep up with them. My only problems arose when I had to fight. I'd only ever sparred with a Firebender, so I wasn't used to my opponent being able to throw my attack right back at me. While I was training with them, I heard more than a few condescending remarks about my poor performance in battle. Once the lesson was over for the day, Kayl approached and we walked off the training grounds together.

"I'm sorry you have to be put through that. You're a real trooper, though. Not many people would be able to take that," he said. I was sure it was meant to come out as a compliment.

"I suppose I'm used to it, more or less," I answered softly.

"You said you had to learn in secrecy. What did you mean? Is it the same was in the Southern Water Tribe? I heard they were more flexible than the stiff old men here." He chuckled softly.

"I wouldn't know. I haven't lived in the Southern Water Tribe in ten years. That's why I had to teach myself in secrecy."

"What happened, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

His voice was more serious now, as though he was afraid of treading where he shouldn't. Honestly, I admired that he cared. After all, I'd never been able to speak of what had happened to me freely. Even with Zuko and Iroh, I always felt as if I was walking on eggshells. A sad smile crossed my features as I stared up at the rising moon.

"I was taken from the Southern Water Tribe when I was six years old. There was a Fire Nation raid. I was taken prisoner, away from my family, my friends, and my home. I became a servant in the Fire Nation palace and was forced to teach myself Waterbending in secrecy if I wanted to learn and still keep my life."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I shrugged my shoulders.

"As far as prisons go, it wasn't that bad."

"Do you ever wish you could see your family again?" Kayl asked.

"Sometimes, if I stare at the moon long enough. It reminds me of the lonely wolf howling at the moon and I feel as if I'm that wolf sometimes, howling at the moon because it's the only one who will listen." Kayl took my hand in his and squeezed it tightly in a comforting manner.

"_I'm_ listening."

I smiled softly as a tear fell from my eyes. I'd never had someone care so much about how I felt, as a person. Zuko and I had always been close, but I'd never been able to confide in him because I was afraid I'd only bring up the harsh moments he'd faced in his life. I didn't even feel I could tell Iroh everything.

"And it means everything to me," I answered softly, moving closer to him and wrapping my arm around his. I blushed softly and glanced up to see a slight reddish tinge on his cheeks as well.

"I think you _are_ like the wolf," he said. "But I think it's different than how you're seeing it. Being a wolf is about inner strength, and I can see that in you, especially after getting a glimpse of your past. Not many people could live through that."

We stopped walking and stood atop one of the many bridges in the city. I stared up at the moon before turning to see Kayl doing the same. He looked down at me and, before I knew it, I was leaning closer to him. My eyes closed as his lips brushed against mine. I started to press my lips more firmly against his, but quickly pulled away. I shook my head slowly and sighed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I can't." I looked up at him to see his gaze averted.

"It's my fault. I didn't see your Betrothal Necklace. Whoever he is, I hope he knows he's lucky to have you."

Kayl escorted me back to the palace in an awkward silence I didn't dare break. I reached up and touched the pendant of the necklace I wore. I couldn't tell him that there wasn't someone else; there was. I just couldn't bring myself to tell him that this necklace wasn't given to me by any future-husband. I feared it would only hurt him more. Kayl gave me a polite goodbye with a bow when we arrived at the palace and I sighed as more tears fell from my eyes. From my room, I stared at the moon, feeling like that same lonely wolf I was before.

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**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please R&R.**


	18. Chapter 17

**I FINALLY caught up with my 6-chapter extra thing AND wrote another one, so now I'm all caught up and can update this one. :D I hope you enjoy the next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or any of the characters. I only have Kala and the random OCs I add in.**

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After only a week of training, I could see my Waterbending abilities increase exponentially. I was even able to fight better, keeping more control over my element than ever before. Master Pakku must have noticed this as well, because he hadn't made any snide comments about my Waterbending as of late. The day I felt I'd truly proven myself, however, was the day I had my rematch with Kokai. He was skilled, as I well knew, but I was now prepared. Water whipped around both of us and I was reminded of how quickly fire can move. With a smirk, I used that to my advantage and shot a stream of water at Kokai too quickly for him to dodge. He landed on the ground and I froze his arms and legs in place. I bowed slightly to honor his efforts in a good fight, and then placed my hands on my hips.

"Do you still believe women can't Waterbend?" I asked.

"Very good, Kala. It appears you've bested my top student," Master Pakku said as he neared me. My brow furrowed slightly as I realized he'd made me fight his star pupil on my first day, but I quickly let it go. "You've advanced more quickly than any student I've ever trained. You have proven that with fierce determination, passion and hard work, you can accomplish anything. Raw talent alone is not enough." I smiled softly and bowed my head as a show of respect.

"Thank you, Master Pakku. That means a great deal coming from you."

Later that day, after the lesson was over, I found Princess Yue and we began walking around the city. She was the only one I could talk to ever since my first night with Kayl. He still wouldn't look me in the eyes, or speak much to me. As Yue and I walked, I told her what little I could remember about the Southern Water Tribe, some of which seemed to surprise or confuse her.

"So, there aren't any palaces in the Southern Water Tribe?" she asked.

"Not that I can remember. I remember Chief Hokoda was our leader, much like your father is here, but he wasn't really treated like royalty. I can still remember him coming to our hut with Katara and Sokka. He was very family oriented and he was best friends with my father," I answered.

"It sounds like you must have enjoyed living there, before you were taken."

"I did. I lived a happy, simple life for six years. After that, I suppose my life was simple, but not in the same way. Now, it's so complicated since I learned I was Half the Avatar."

"Are there times you wish you could go back to that simple life?"

"There used to be, when I was still a servant in the Fire Nation. Now that I've had a taste of the world, though, I want to see it all."

"It must be exciting, traveling the world," Yue said wistfully.

"It is, most of the time," I answered, smiling at her. "How about I make you a promise? After this war with Fire Lord Ozai is over and balance is restored, I'll take you on a trip around the world. We could have fun, just two friends taking in the wonders the world has to offer." A hopeful expression lit up Yue's face.

"That would be wonderful!"

"It's a promise, then. Once this is over, we're touring the world." I laughed and looked up at the sky. My eyes widened and my smile quickly faded as I stared up in fear. Falling from the sky were black snowflakes. I remembered them clearly from the day I'd been taken from my home in the Southern Water Tribe. This was a Fire Nation raid.

"What's happening?" Yue asked as she noticed the black snow.

"This is bad. Yue, you have to get back to the palace and warn your father. Tell him the Fire Nation is here."

"What?"

"Hurry. I'm going to stay out here and warn Master Pakku. Go warn Chief Arnook. The Black Snow means the Fire Nation is here. This happened the day I was taken from the Southern Tribe. Go!"

Yue nodded and ran off in the direction of the palace as I ran back to Master Pakku's training grounds. By the time I arrived, the drums were sounding and I could only assume they were used to call the soldiers. Everyone was running to the palace and I followed them, frowning as I realized I could have simply gone with Yue in the first place. Everyone gathered in the main hall and I saw Chief Arnook standing to address everyone.

"The day we have feared for so long has arrived," he said. "The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe, but they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits! Spirit of the Ocean, Spirit of the Moon, be with us! I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission."

"I'll fight," Kayl answered as he stood. A few of the other men stood along with him and I felt saddened. I wanted to help them, as it was my presence that drew the Fire Nation, but I knew I would be needed for something else, something more than what Chief Arnook could direct me to do.

"Be warned, many of you will not return. Come forward to accept my mark if you accept the task."

After the meeting, I stood outside the palace, watching the horizon. I hated waiting as I was. I hated not knowing who was coming. Was it Zuko, come to get me and capture an Aang that wasn't here? Or could it have been someone else entirely? What was I to do if it _was_ Zuko? I'd lose the trust of the Waterbenders if I helped him, but I couldn't betray him.

"I just don't know," I whispered softly.

"This stillness before battle is unbearable," Chief Arnook said as he came up from behind me. I turned to face him, bowing slightly. "Such a quiet dread."

"I couldn't help my tribe when we were attacked ten years ago. I hope I can this time."

"I'm sure you will," another, younger voice said. I whirled around to see Kayl with Chief Arnook's mark on his forehead. The chief left us and I averted my eyes at the ground. No one understood the predicament I was in. "You're strong, like the wolf." I looked into his eyes and felt tears clouding mine. Kayl was as young as I was, and he was risking his life for his people. That was something I couldn't do without knowing who I would be hurting on the other side. Looking into Kayl's eyes, I could only hope he wouldn't be hurt in the battle. I leaned forward and kissed him.

"Be careful out there," I whispered through my tears before running off. Later that day, I was within the War Chamber of the palace, where Chief Arnook was preparing the select few men for their dangerous mission.

"Men, you'll be infiltrating the Fire Nation Navy. That means you'll need one of these uniforms," the chief said. I watched as a young man walked in, wearing a ridiculous outfit. It looked like something that belonged to the Fire Nation, but it was an old style. It looked very little like what the uniforms looked like now. I began chuckling softly.

"What's your problem?" the young man demanded.

"Fire Navy uniforms don't look like that," I answered simply.

"Of course they do! These are real uniforms captured from _actual_ Fire Navy soldiers."

"How long ago?"

"Eighty-five years ago," Chief Arnook answered. I walked around him and up to the man in uniform.

"No wonder. These are outdated. The Fire Nation doesn't wear shoulder spikes. The current uniforms are much more streamlined."

"How do we know we can trust her?" the boy asked. "Such bold talk for a woman who shouldn't even _be_ in here."

"I was captured by the Fire Nation only ten years ago. The uniforms looked nothing like this." The young man scowled at me as Chief Arnook nodded in agreement. The chief then turned to his warriors again.

"Now, our first objective is to determine the identity of their commanding officer," he said. I thought back to what I'd heard about the Navy fleet. It was huge, consisting of dozens of ships. I knew it couldn't have been Zuko because he was only in control of one ship, and a small one at that. I knew who had to be commanding them.

"His name is Zhao," I answered, causing everyone to look at me again. "He's middle-aged, has the sideburns of a Fire Nation man, a temper worse than any I've seen and an ego to match."

"Kala, I want you to tell everything you know to Han. He's leading this mission. Han, show Kala your respect. I expect nothing less from my future son-in-law." I looked at Han in utter shock. Princess Yue had told me of her engagement, but she never said his name. I got the feeling she didn't particularly care for him, but was forced to marry for the sake of her people. I couldn't believe she had to marry _him_. No wonder she wasn't pleased.

"Princess Yue's marrying _you_?" I asked.

"Yeah. What of it?" Han retorted. I frowned slightly at him. It appeared I'd have to whip him into shape before I left. Yue deserved someone who would be kind to her.

By the time the sun was beginning to set, I could see that more and more ships were nearing. They shot dozens of fireballs to destroy the city. Master Pakku and his students created pillars of ice to stop the flaming weapons in their tracks. More and more ships were being taken down by the Waterbenders that had gone out in the smaller boats, but it was moving too slowly. There was no way we'd be able to hold them all off. I watched as twilight came and smirked. It was nearly a full moon that night. That meant we'd be stronger. As night grew nearer, the Fire Nation ships halted. Zhao must have known that we'd be stronger and that was why he was waiting it out. I frowned and threw my arms up into the air, pulling up water to help rebuild the wall that had been partially melted. It was all I _could_ do for the time being.

"Go back to the palace, Lady Kala," one of the men ordered.

"But, I'm needed here," I answered.

"You've been called back to the palace by Princess Yue." I sighed, but nodded in answer, running to the large building in the back of the city. As I neared, I saw Yue standing on the steps. She ran to greet me, obviously taking notice of the scrapes I'd gained through defending the walls.

"What happened?" she asked.

"There are just too many of them. I can't fight them all."

"But… you have to."

"I'm trying, but I don't know how much more I can help. If Aang were here, we'd be better off. He could fly onto the ships and tear them apart. As we are now, it's useless. Now, please excuse me while I go help the warriors prepare for their mission." Yue nodded and I ran into the War Chamber, where I found Han sharpening an axe. I took up one as well and began sharpening the dull blade on one of the wheels. As I did, I heard Han talking to one of the other men.

"Let me tell you, I've courted a lot of girls but Yue is the finest, and she comes with the most perks," he said. My eyes snapped wider and I turned to face him.

"And just what does that mean?!" I demanded. Han turned to me with a smirk.

"I mean, Yue's nice and everything, but the points I'll gain with the chief aren't bad either." I scowled at him.

"You don't deserve someone like Yue. You're too self-centered."

"What do you care?"

"I'm her friend and I care about her happiness!" I answered, standing abruptly. "I had hoped that her future-husband would too!" With that, I stormed out of the room and back up to the palace. I found Yue there and slammed my fist down on the low, decorative wall.

"Is everything alright, Kala?" she asked.

"No. Everything's not alright. In fact, everything's going horribly wrong. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know anything about being Half of an Avatar, I can't ask my former self, and I can't even help my friends!" I sank to my knees with my head in my hands. Tears fell from my eyes as I realized just how useless I was as a Half. Yue rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Kala…" I pulled away from her and stood.

"I just… need some time to think," I said and ran off down the stairs.

I wandered aimlessly through the battered city I'd been living in for the past week. It had been so beautiful only that morning. Now, it looked like there was no hope left for it. As I was walking, I heard a low groan. Cautiously turning a corner, I pulled up some water out of the canal and held it up, ready to attack. I saw no one there, but I could still hear whoever it was. I looked into one of the pipes and saw a shocking sight. I gasped and he looked up at me.

"Kala?" Zuko asked.

"Zuko! What happened to you? Who did this?"

I knelt beside him, examining the cuts, bruises and slight burns that adorned his face. He was shivering violently and I realized the white stealth-suit he was wearing was soaked. He'd been in the water! I pulled my parka off, over my head, and covered him with it, hoping to keep him warm.

"There was an explosion. The ship's gone." He shuddered again, breathing fire to warm himself. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled myself closer, trying to share some of my body-heat.

"Who did this to you, Zuko?"

"Zhao." I scowled, a low growl rumbling in the back of my throat. I would make that monster pay for what he'd done. "Where's the Airbender?" I snapped out of my angered state and stared down at Zuko.

"He's not here. He must not have come to find me," I answered simply. Zuko scowled and punched the wall of the icy pipe. He'd stopped shivering and I reluctantly pulled away from him as the sun began to rise. He would be stronger now, but so would Zhao. Zuko stood, my parka falling to the ground. "Zuko, please, don't destroy this place. Help me stop Zhao."

"I don't care what happens to the Northern Water Tribe. But I'm not letting Zhao do what he wants." I smiled softly, but that quickly left as I heard something crashing into the outer wall of the city. Zhao's ships had hit and his soldiers were doubtlessly entering the city for their attack. It was my duty, as Half the Avatar, to stop them.

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**Please R&R.**


	19. Chapter 18

**I'm finally updating this story. That's the good news. The bad news is that I haven't written another chapter, so I'm behind on my 6-chapter ahead thing... again... I'm just too lazy to watch the episodes and write more, for some reason... I think it's mostly because I'm trying to write some Bleach stories and my TMNT story as well... Anyway, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or its characters. I only get Kala and random OCs.  
**

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"How do you plan to defeat Zhao's army?" Zuko asked as I paced back and forth in front of the pipe I'd found him.

"I don't know. I mean, it's not like I can just ask the Water and Moon Spirits for help," I muttered. An idea struck me and I stopped dead in my tracks. "Wait! Maybe I can!"

"Have you lost your mind, Kala?"

"I was able to speak to Roku and he's been dead for a hundred years. Legends have always said that the Halves were the bridges between the Mortal and the Spirit Worlds. Maybe, if I can get to the Spirit World, I can find them and ask for their help."

"And how do you plan to get to the Spirit World?" Zuko asked, clearly becoming impatient.

"I don't know… meditate?" I walked past Zuko and sat in the pipeline, crossing my legs, and began meditating.

"You're being ridiculous, Kala."

"It's the best shot I have," I answered and began meditating.

I stared into the water as it swished in the hole Zuko had created when he'd come into the pipe before I found him. Suddenly, I felt as though I was hit by something and I found myself looking around a large forest. My eyes widened as I looked around, walking through the ankle-deep water of what felt like some kind of swamp. Was this the Spirit World?

"Kala," a familiar, old voice said. I looked all around me and soon saw Roku's reflection in the water, springing out from where my reflection should have been.

"Roku, the Water Tribe is under attack. I need to find the Ocean and the Moon Spirits." Roku materialized from the water, becoming a full-bodied form before my very eyes.

"The Ocean and the Moon are ancient spirits. They crossed over from the Spirit World to the Mortal World very near the beginning. There is only one spirit I know of who is old enough to remember."

"Who is it?"

"The spirit's name is Koh, but he is very dangerous. They call him the Face Stealer." My eyes widened in shock.

"The Face Stealer? What do you mean? He literally takes a person's face?"

"Yes. When you speak with him, you must very careful to show no emotion at all, not the slightest expression, or he will steal your face," Roku explained.

I nodded a bit shakily. I could only hope I'd be able to do such a thing. Soon after, I found myself at the mouth of Koh's cave. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I lost all expression in my face. I walked down into the cave, where little light was shining in. Suddenly, a pale, painted face appeared before me, but I was able to keep my resolve.

"Welcome," a being said. It was the spirit, Koh, and he appeared to be a giant centipede with the face of a human.

"Thank you," I answered calmly.

"My old friend, an Avatar Half. It's been a long time."

"You know me?"

"How could I forget _you_. One of _your_ previous incarnations tried to slay me!" Koh took on the face of an angry, middle-aged man as he spoke. I knew he was speaking of me specifically, and not any previous incarnation that may have been Aang's. "A few hundred years ago."

"I wasn't aware of that. Why did my previous incarnation try to kill you?"

"Oh, it was something about stealing the face of someone he loved," Koh answered, his face now that of a beautiful woman. I could only assume it belonged to the loved one he was speaking of. As I stared into the face, he began chuckling, his face becoming that of a baboon.

"Koh, the reason I came to you was for information. I need to find the Moon and the Ocean. I was told you would know where in the Mortal World they may have gone."

"Their Sprit Names are Tui and La. Push and Pull, and _that_ has been the nature of their relationship for all time."

"Please, tell me where they are. I need their help," I answered.

"Oh, you need _their_ help. Actually, it's quite the opposite. Someone's going to kill them!" Koh yelled, taking on yet another angry face.

"How can I find them and protect them?"

"You've been in their home, though dear Princess Yue has yet to show you where they are. She was planning to, as far as I could tell. Tui and La have always circled each other, they balance each other."

Koh was turned away from me and my eyes widened in shock. They _balance_ each other, like Yin and Yang. An image shot before my eyes and I could see two koi fish circling each other in a pond. I didn't know where they were, except that they were in the Northern Water Tribe. I'd have to get Yue to bring me there.

"Two koi fish," I whispered and Koh turned to face me, making sure I hadn't changed my expression. "Thank you, Koh. You've helped me greatly. I must be going now."

"We'll meet again," he said as I turned to leave. As soon as I was out of his cave, I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. I'd never been more frightened in my life. I looked down at the pool of water to see Roku.

"I need to get back to the Mortal World."

"A friend is here to guide you back. He met Aang the night before you spoke with me," Roku answered and disappeared into the water. A giant panda appeared next to me and leaned down for me to climb onto his back. I did so and he ran through the forest, quickly coming to what looked to be some kind of gate.

"This is where I came in," I murmured. "But how do I get back?"

The panda stood on his hind legs and blew air at me, which appeared to be like an aurora. I was surrounded by light before my eyes snapped open and I could see Zuko kneeling in front of me. He had a concerned expression on his face and his hands were on my shoulders, as though he were trying to shake me.

"What happened to you?" he demanded.

"We have to hurry! I need to find Tui and La!" I answered and grabbed his wrist, pulling him out of the pipe we were in.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't have time to explain, nor do I have time to hide you. Just come with me and I'll figure it out from there!"

I ran as fast as I could, trying to get to the palace and find Princess Yue. All around me, I could see the destruction of the once-proud city. Zhao was destroying everything. As we rounded another corner, I found myself running into someone. I stumbled back and looked up to see Kayl. My eyes widened in shock as Zuko stepped forward and shot a stream of fire at him. Kayl's eyes narrowed and he began lifting water from the canal. Before he could attack, I stood in the way with my arms outstretched.

"Kala, move! I'll get rid of this Fire Nation demon!" Kayl yelled.

"If you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me too!" His resolve wavered and I could see the confliction in his eyes.

"You're on _their_ side?"

"No. It's not like that at all." I suddenly thought of something that would justify me protecting someone from the Fire Nation. I placed on hand on my necklace. "He's the one," I whispered. Kayl seemed to understand what I was implying and the water dropped from where he held it. He glared harshly at Zuko, then me.

"You never said he was Fire Nation."

"I know. Please, Kayl, he's helping me. Don't tell anyone about him. I'm going to save the Northern Water Tribe." Kayl nodded, though I could clearly see the hurt in his eyes. I grabbed Zuko's hand and quickly ran past Kayl, a tear falling from my eyes.

"What was that about?" Zuko asked after we'd turned another corner.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," I answered. It wasn't long before I reached the palace, where I found Yue standing at the front door, a worried expression on her face. That worry became apprehension when she saw me with Zuko.

"Who is he?" she asked, a fearful tone in her voice.

"He's a friend of mine. I promise, he's here to help. Yue, I need you to take me somewhere. There are two koi fish swimming around each other in a circle. Where are they?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I had a vision. Please, take us there. We don't have much time. Someone's going to try and kill them."

"What's so important about two fish?" Zuko asked from behind me. I turned to face him.

"They are Tui and La, the Ocean and Moon Spirits." Yue gasped and agreed to lead Zuko and me to where they were. We followed her through various passageways until coming to a small, circular, wooden door.

"Through this door is the most spiritual place in the North Pole. It's where they live," Yue explained and we went through.

As soon as we were through the door, I noticed that it was significantly warmer there, and there was a small island with grass, even. Then, I saw Zhao standing over the pool with a sack flopping around in his hand. My eyes widened in shock as the air around us took on a red tinge. Looking up, I could see that the moon had turned blood-red.

"No!" I screamed and lifted my arms to Waterbend. I was struck with fear as I realized nothing happened. My bending was gone. I put my hands to my head as I was struck with a headache. Yue had done the same.

"I feel faint," she murmured. I heard a dark chuckle and looked up to see Zhao laughing at me.

"It would appear you've come too late, girl," he said, holding up a fist to the brown sack that contained the Moon Spirit.

"Don't!" I cried.

"It's been my destiny to destroy the Moon, and the Water Tribe."

"Destroying the Moon won't hurt _just_ the Water Tribe. It'll hurt everyone. Without the Moon, there is no balance! You can't begin to comprehend the chaos that would bring upon the world!"

"She is right, Zhao," another voice said, one I recognized very well. I turned my head to see Iroh approaching and a smile broke across my face.

"General Iroh… why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" Zhao asked rhetorically.

"I'm no traitor, Zhao. The Fire Nation needs the Moon too. We all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you ten-fold! Let it go, now!"

Iroh's face expressed pure ire, something I'd never seen in the kind old man before. I would have found it more frightening if it had been directed at me. Zhao released Tui back into the small pond, only to shoot a wave of Fire at it while in the water. In that instant, the moon in the sky disappeared, leaving us all in darkness. Iroh leapt forward and began attacking Zhao's soldiers with his Firebending. I could only stare in shock at the pond of water. The Moon Spirit, Tui, was dead. Yue, Zuko and I ran to the pool and I knelt beside it, tears falling from my eyes. I couldn't even save a fish from Zhao. How was I to save the world from Ozai? After Iroh had dealt with Zhao's soldiers, he gently lifted Tui from the pool of water. Zhao had disappeared.

"There's no hope now," Yue murmured, her voice breaking. Zuko suddenly threw a blast of fire behind us. I turned to see Zhao block the attack and throw another one at Zuko. I grabbed Yue's hand and pulled her away from the fighting.

"Iroh, keep Yue safe," I ordered before turning to Yue. "Iroh and Zuko are the two people from the Fire Nation I trust the most. You're safe under his protection." She nodded shakily and I turned around to help Zuko. Before I could take a step forward, I saw him hit by another, much larger, blast of fire from Zhao. Zuko was slammed against the ice wall surrounding us and landed face down on the grass. "Zuko!" I knelt beside him and found that he had been knocked unconscious.

"I'm now invincible!" Zhao yelled. "Now, not even the Avatar can stop me!" Pure rage flowed through my veins, all directed at Zhao. I stood and slowly walked away from Zuko, into the small pond of water where La still swam. Staring down at the black koi, I knew what I would be able to do.

"You want an Avatar, Zhao? I'll show you one," I growled before La's eyes began glowing and I blacked out.

I had no control over my body and could only feel the immense rage and pain from both La and myself. I was shocked out of that state when I saw an image of Princess Yue before me. She was pale, almost ghostly, and no longer wore the dress I'd seen her in only moments before. Now, she wore a white, flowing gown.

"You have to stop this. I have taken the place of the Moon Spirit. The Moon lives on," she said, her voice almost pleading.

I blinked a few times, suddenly having control of my body, and found myself placed on the outer wall of the Northern Water Tribe. Before me, I could see every single Fire Nation ship destroyed. Had I… done that? I began trembling as I stared at the carnage before me. Princess Yue appeared before my eyes again and I now realized she was almost transparent.

"Yue," I whispered. "I'm sorry. I couldn't save you, I couldn't save Tui." Tears flowed from my eyes as I stared up at my dear friend.

"Don't place blame on yourself, Kala. Everything is going to be alright now. I'll be with you in your travels. Just look to the moon, and you'll see me." With that, she disappeared. I began sobbing once more, burying my face in my hands. There I was, once again, howling at the Moon, because she was the only one who would listen.

Daybreak came and I made my way back to the palace. Master Pakku informed me that he and a few other Waterbenders were going to travel to the South Pole, to help rebuild the Southern Water Tribe. I was happy, knowing my home would be aided, but saddened because I felt unable to help anyone. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Kayl. He was slightly injured, but he was still breathing and had a smile on his face. I hugged him tightly, thankful he was alive, and kissed his cheek.

"I know you're not marrying him," Kayl whispered and I pulled away. "No one from the Fire Nation could have crafted a necklace like yours."

"Then why did you-" I started to ask.

"I knew you wouldn't betray us." I smiled softly at his words and hugged him again.

Soon after, I found my way back to the oasis, where Iroh and Zuko were waiting for me. We left on a small raft that Iroh had constructed and was waiting just outside the city. As we drifted away, I pulled my parka on tighter and stared at the endless sea, and the hundreds of ships I had destroyed. Iroh was busy with the sails and Zuko was staring at the wall as we left.

"I'm surprised, Prince Zuko. Surprised that at this moment you are not trying to figure out where the Airbender could have been," Iroh said and I glanced up at him.

"I'm tired," Zuko answered simply.

"Then you should rest. A man needs his rest."

The smallest of smiles broke across my features at Iroh's words and Zuko laid on his back, staring up at the sky. I watched the partially sunken ships pass as we drifted by them, a few tears falling from my eyes. I never wanted to lose control of myself like that again, I never wanted to cause that kind of pain again.

"Iroh," I whispered. "What happened to our crew?"

"They were recruited into Zhao's fleet." My eyes widened as I fully realized what I'd done. I'd killed all of them, all of the people who had treated me so kindly on Zuko's ship.

"And Lieutenant Ji?"

"He was recruited as well."

I pulled my knees to my chest and began crying softly. I'd killed the one who'd helped me come to the North Pole. I felt so… useless. I failed to save Tui, I couldn't protect Yue, and I killed so many people needlessly. A shudder rippled through my body as I stared down at my own hands. I was a monster. How could I possibly defeat Ozai, when I was unable to protect those I cared about? Iroh sat beside me and draped his arm over my shoulders while I sobbed into my hands.

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**Sweet... this one's actually pretty long too. And I finally finished up with all that North Pole stuff. :D Please R&R.**


	20. Chapter 19

**Well... I'm behind my schedule I've set for myself again... sorry about that. At least I DO have extra chapters for this occasion. Anyway, I've been really focused on my other stories (as well as the new semester starting in school yesterday), and have kind of neglected this one. Also, I'm waiting on that laptop I was supposed to get last summer, but now won't get until this coming summer (I've got a while). So, yeah... This has been kind of neglected. Sorry. I'll be working on it at some point. lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or its characters. I only get Kala and the random OCs I've added in.**

**And... because I'm listening to RENT music: LA VIE BOHEME! XD**

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Three weeks later, we were in a secluded resort, where we were able to rest for a while. Sakura petals floated gently to the ground and I watched them with sad eyes as I was given a back massage. Iroh was on the table beside me. He sighed in content and I chuckled softly. The two women working on my back were gentle, but using just enough force to work out any knots that had formed in my muscles.

"_This_ is what I have been missing," Iroh said. "Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water, and sea-vultures waiting to pluck out our liver could make one so tense?"

I rolled my eyes and stared ahead of me as a few more delicate, pink petals fell to the ground. It was hard to be happy on that day. I knew what it was when I woke up that morning. Zuko was sitting against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him. I glanced his way before waving the women off, slipping on a robe and tying it around myself. I sat beside Zuko and rested my hand on his shoulder. Iroh approached as well.

"It's the anniversary," I whispered softly.

"Three years ago today, I was banished. I lost it all. I want it back," Zuko answered sternly. "I want the Airbender, I want my honor, my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless." My grip on his shoulder tightened.

"I'm sure he doesn't," Iroh said. "Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Zuko and I both looked up at him skeptically. Zuko stood abruptly and walked away. "That came out wrong, didn't it?"

"More than you may realize," I answered and stood to follow Zuko. I found him sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean. As I approached, he didn't turn to acknowledge me. "May I join you?"

He gave no answer, so I sat beside him and stared out at the crashing waves. I watched the push and pull of the sea, the perfect balance, and tears stung my eyes. My heart still ached from my loss at the North Pole. Since that night, I'd had nightmares about myself, and the damage I'd caused. I was able to see what I'd done, from outside my body. I killed Zhao, drowning him in La's essence, and destroyed the Fire Nation ships, killing everyone aboard them.

"Why did you follow me?" Zuko finally asked.

"Misery loves company." He turned his head to look at me, as I noticed in my peripheral vision, but I kept my eyes trained on the sea. The tears finally fell from my eyes as I thought of Yue and what had happened to her.

"You haven't been speaking much lately."

"I've had a lot on my mind. Most of which, I tell to the Moon."

"Uncle told me what the girl did, how she became the Moon Spirit."

"She was my friend, and I couldn't protect her. On top of that, I killed so many people."

"You weren't in control of yourself," Zuko answered.

"I should have been able to stop myself, stop La," I murmured. I felt his hand on my shoulder and leaned against him, crying softly.

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The next day, about mid-afternoon, the three of us walked into the small building we'd been calling home since we came to the quaint resort. We'd spent much of the day at the beach, walking along the waterline. Iroh dumped a sack of shells out on the desk with a smile.

"Look at these magnificent shells!" he exclaimed. "I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come." I lifted one and stared down at the swirling colors on the underside. It _was_ beautiful.

"We don't need anymore useless _things_," Zuko insisted. "You forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now."

"Hello brother, Uncle," a feminine voice said and I whirled around to see Zuko's younger sister, Azula, sitting at another table, her hand over some shells Iroh had collected the day before. Remembering my place in Azula's eyes, I bowed out of respect, mumbling a polite hello to the princess.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions. Have you become so uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?"

"Don't call me that!"

"To what do we owe this honor?" Iroh asked, bowing slightly to the princess.

"Hmmm… Must be a family trait," Azula said. "Both of you so quick to get to the point." As she spoke, she crushed the shell in her hand. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him, treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can _really_ trust. Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home." Zuko made no movement. "Did you hear me? You should be happy, excited, grateful. I just gave you great news." Iroh stepped forward.

"I'm sure your brother simply needs a moment to-"

"Don't interrupt, Uncle!" I bit back a scowl. Azula turned back to Zuko. "I still haven't heard my 'thank you.' I'm _not_ a messenger. I didn't _have_ to come all this way."

"Father regrets? He… wants me back?" Zuko asked, his voice wavering slightly with uncertainty.

"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening."

With that, Azula turned and left. As soon as she was gone, I growled lowly in the back of my throat. I remembered very well what she was like before Zuko had been banished. I could see right through her 'kind' act. She hadn't changed. I knew Ozai hadn't regretted banishing Zuko. There was something else, something we were missing. That night, I watched as Zuko packed his belongings. Iroh sat at the table, across from me, with his hand on his chin in thought.

"We're going home, after three long years," Zuko said. "It's unbelievable." He sounded so hopeful.

"It _is_ unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything," Iroh answered and I nodded in agreement. I had the scars on my back to prove that one. When I was a child, if I did something Ozai didn't like, I was whipped with a thin stream of fire. It happened rarely, for I learned quickly what it took to keep myself from such punishment. I'd never shown Zuko these scars, so he never knew of them. I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

"Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me." Iroh stood and turned to face his nephew.

"_I_ care about you. Kala cares about you. If Ozai wants you back, well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."

"You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know _anything_."

"Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem."

"I think you're _exactly_ what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who's always been jealous of his brother." Zuko walked away to continue packing and I saw the pain in Iroh's eyes.

"You're wrong," I whispered, though I knew Zuko wouldn't hear me. Iroh did, though, and he turned to face me.

"You have seen many hardships, Kala," he said.

"I know. I know what Ozai is capable of. Compassion isn't one of them."

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The next morning, Zuko was headed down to the beach, to meet with Azula. I knew something wasn't right here. Staring at the sea, I knew where my place was. I needed to protect Zuko from his sister, at all costs. I ran down the stairs with Iroh, trying to catch up to him.

"Wait!" Iroh yelled and Zuko turned around. "Don't leave without us!" Iroh and I were both wearing our Fire Nation clothes, though I had my Water Tribe outfit in my bag.

"Kala, Uncle, you've changed your minds," Zuko said. He looked much happier.

"Family sticks together, right?"

"And I made a promise to stay with you through thick and thin," I answered with a smile.

We made it down to the dock, though I was glancing around apprehensively. I didn't trust Azula, nor did I trust the soldiers that were stationed on either side of the dock. We walked between them and I kept a wary eye on them as I passed. I noticed Iroh doing the same. Azula stood at the top of the ramp leading onto her ship, two soldiers stationed to either side of her.

"Brother, Uncle," she greeted, completely ignoring my presence. I'd expected that. "Welcome." We all bowed to each other. "I'm so glad you decided to come." The man who stood nearest the bottom of the ramp appeared to be the Captain of the ship. He turned to face Azula.

"Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?" he asked.

"Set our course for home, Captain." The man started up the ramp and began barking orders.

"You heard the Princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners home!" He quickly realized his mistake and I scowled. I knew Azula couldn't have been trusted. She made one very big mistake: angering a master Waterbender. Iroh quickly turned around and began attacking the soldiers behind us. I raised the water from the ocean and knocked many of them down.

"Zuko, let's get out of here!" I yelled. I glanced behind me to see him running off to fight Azula. "_Zuko!_" I ran up onto the deck to find him battling with his sister.

"You know, Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole," she said to Zuko. "And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want _you_ back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?"

I pulled a stream of water up, but Zuko began attacking Azula first, meaning that he wanted this fight to be his and his alone. I grudgingly stopped and took on a defensive position, watching as they fought. Zuko was fighting with such anger, it made his movements random and easily avoided, as Azula demonstrated. Finally, she used her bending, but a strange sight occurred before my eyes. She was creating lighting, rather than fire. She directed it at Zuko, but before she could attack, Iroh appeared and grabbed her fingertips, channeling the lighting through himself and out into the nearby cliff. I then used my stream of water to shove her overboard and we ran off the ship. Creating a large wave, I forced the ship away from the dock, making it that much harder for Azula when she would be able to get out. We ran away as quickly as we could, making sure we couldn't be followed. Somewhere upstream from the river, we stopped to rest for a few moments.

"I think we're safe here," Iroh said.

"For now," I murmured.

I then watched as Zuko drew out a dagger he'd had for years. Engraved into it were the words 'Never give up without a fight'. It had been given to him by Iroh, before Lady Ursa… I stopped my thoughts when I saw Zuko bringing the blade up to the top of his head. He cut through the band near his scalp, cutting his hair and, thus, cutting his ties with the Fire Nation. He passed the knife to Iroh, who cut off his top knot. Both of them dropped their hair into the stream, allowing them to wash away. They were refugees now. No, _we_ were refugees now.

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**There's another chapter. Please R&R with your comments. ;D**


	21. Chapter 20

**I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but I just haven't been able to watch the episodes I need to continue writing. Plus, I have to figure out everything for the little twists and turns that will be taken as the story continues. But, I think I'll be able to get the ball rolling again once I'm out of school and free for the summer. Anyway, please enjoy the lastest chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or its characters. I only own Kala.**

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I walked slowly and quietly down the hall from the servants' quarters. It was late at night and I feared awakening anyone. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I knew my way outside. I had gotten up to sit by the turtle-duck pond in hopes of ridding myself of my restlessness. I wasn't prepared for what I'd encounter that night.

_I saw that the door to Fire Lord Azulon's chamber was cracked slightly, and I could hear voices coming from within. Knowing I'd risk lashings, or worse, if I was caught, I peeked in through the crack in the doors. There, I saw Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa. Fire Lord Azulon was dead on the floor. My eyes widened in shock as this realization came upon me._

"_Now, to make certain you can never speak of this," Ozai said, turning to his wife. Flames flew from his hands and straight at Lady Ursa. A blaze surrounded her where she stood on the metal floor, but she did not scream out. I was stricken with fear and horror as I watched the tears silently roll down her cheeks. I ran._

My eyes snapped open and my breathing quickened as I shocked myself out of sleep. The images of Lady Ursa burning flashed before my eyes and my stomach churned. I crawled away from where I was sleeping and retched in a nearby bush. My body trembled from weakness as I sat up in the darkness. It was late at night, or early in the morning. Iroh and Zuko both slept peacefully, lying on the ground around what had once been our campfire. Iroh was snoring, though not annoyingly so, while Zuko was completely silent. It had been some time since we'd become refugees of the Fire Nation and Zuko's hair was growing in, now covering his entire scalp.

I shuddered slightly, wrapping my arms around myself. Staring at the two of them made me think of Lady Ursa and her untimely end at the hands of her husband. Moving back to where I had been before, I lied down with my head resting on my arm. Slowly, sleep overtook me and I was able to rest until morning.

At around noon the next day, we all split up to go scavenging for food. I returned with some nuts and berries I'd found that I knew were safe. When I came into the clearing, I saw Iroh sitting in front of a small bush with a single white flower sprouting from it. Zuko appeared just seconds later, fighting his way through the foliage.

"I didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive. This is impossible!" Zuko yelled and I chuckled softly, looking down at what I had gathered in the front skirt of my Water Tribe dress. It was a simple, pale blue dress with short sleeves and a slit up to my hip on the left. Underneath it, I wore a pair of black pants to allow for easy movement. On my feet, I wore a pair of simple black shoes. Zuko turned to see Iroh crouched before the plant. "Uncle, what are you doing?" We both approached him and looked down at the plant.

"You're looking at the rare White Dragon Bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking… that, or it's the White Jade Bush, which is poisonous," Iroh answered. I rolled my eyes, knowing to stay away from the plant. If I wasn't sure what it was, I wasn't going to touch it.

"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing."

"I'll come with you, Zuko," I said and followed after him, keeping the nuts and berries I'd collected in my skirt. Once we'd stopped by a river, I was able to sit down with them. "Have some of these, Zuko. They'll help," I offered, taking a small handful and handing it to him.

"Are they safe?" he asked and I laughed softly.

"Would I have gotten them if they weren't? I know a few things about plants."

After grabbing a handful for myself, I placed the rest of the berries and nuts into the pouch I carried. I watched as Zuko sharpened a long stick and tried to use it as a spear. Laughter erupted from me when the only thing he'd been able to catch was a fish that was better used as bait.

"Stop laughing!"

"Zuko, you could have just asked me to get a few fish for us," I answered and stood, pulling up three relatively large fish within a large bubble of water. Zuko frowned and turned to walk back to where we'd last seen Iroh. I chuckled softly as I followed after him, the fish and water with me. When we returned, Iroh had his back to us still.

"Zuko, Kala, remember that plant I thought might be tea?" Iroh questioned. My eyes widened as I was beginning to realize what had happened.

"You didn't," Zuko said.

"I did… and it wasn't." As Iroh spoke, he turned to face us and I could see the swelling and rashes on his face. Zuko and I both yelled out in surprise and the water I'd been holding in the air splashed to the ground, leaving the fish to flop helplessly. "When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing. But look what I found!" He held up a stick with two bunches of berries on the end.

"What are they?" I asked.

"These are Bacui Berries, known to cure the poison of the White Jade Plant… that, or Macahoni Berries that cause blindness." Zuko snatched the stick from Iroh's hand and threw it into a bush

"We're _not_ taking anymore chances with these plants!" he yelled. "We need to get help."

"Where do we go? You two are enemies to the Earth Kingdom and we're fugitives from the Fire Nation," I asked. Iroh scratched at his rashes, which were now at his calves.

"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed."

"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, they'll turn us all in to Azula." Iroh and Zuko glanced between each other and nodded.

"Earth Kingdom it is," Zuko answered and we began walking. We soon found a small Earth Kingdom village and a small hospital to bring Iroh. Thankfully, there was only one other person there and Iroh was treated quickly by a girl who appeared to be a little younger than Zuko.

"You three must not be from around here," she said as she treated Iroh's rashes, trying to strike up a friendly conversation. Zuko tensed where he sat beside me. "We know better than to touch the White Jade, much less make it into tea and drink it."

"Oops," Iroh answered with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes with a small smile. It was easier to relax now that he was out of danger.

"So, where are you traveling from?" This caused Zuko to panic slightly, as I could tell from the way he stood abruptly and his tone of voice.

"Yes, we're travelers," he answered, slightly nervous.

"Do you have names?"

"Names? Of course we have names. I'm… Lee. And this is my uncle, uh, Mushi." Iroh glared at Zuko from around the girl as she wrung out a washcloth.

"My name is Kala," I said with a pleasant smile, causing Zuko to glance pointedly at me.

"Yes, my nephew was named after his father so we just call him Junior," Iroh said, smiling at Zuko. Zuko dragged his finger across his own throat, causing me to chuckle quietly.

"Mushi, Kala, and Junior, huh?" the girl said. "My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal. Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on," Zuko answered.

"That's too bad. My mom always makes too much roast duck."

"Where do you live, exactly?" Iroh asked and I covered my mouth as I began laughing again. Iroh was never one to pass up a good meal.

"I think we can stay for a little while, Lee," I said with a smile before turning to Song. "We would love to join your family. Thank you."

"The pleasure is mine."

"Kala, can I speak with you outside for a moment?" Zuko asked, clearly annoyed. He walked out the door and I sighed softly.

"Wish me luck."

"You'll need it," Iroh added with a chuckled. I walked outside and followed Zuko around the corner of the building.

"What are you thinking?" he hissed.

"I was thinking we need to make sure your uncle will be alright and we were offered dinner by the person treating him. One evening can't hurt," I answered calmly.

"What if they find out about us? And why didn't you give a different name?"

"You're worrying too much about this. Just keep calm and we'll be fine. And I didn't give a false name because I don't need to. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe. I have nothing to fear from them. And, I promise, you have nothing to fear as well."

"I'm not afraid of them," Zuko answered sharply.

"No, but you're afraid of being caught," I retorted. "Now come on. We don't want them to leave without us." With that, I took Zuko's hand and led him back inside, where Song and Iroh were waiting for us.

That evening, we sat around the table in Song's home while her mother brought out a roast duck on a platter. The aroma traveled through the room and out the opened sliding door that revealed the path to the house. I stared up at the sky, noticing the moon was just a thin crescent and wouldn't be seen within a few days. My Waterbending would be a little weaker than usual.

"My daughter tells me you're refugees," Song's mother said as she sat down. "We were once refugees ourselves."

"Small world," I murmured with a smile.

"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away. That was the last time I saw my father," Song explained sadly.

"I know how you feel."

"I haven't seen my father in many years," Zuko said, the slightest hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Oh," Song whispered. "Are your fathers fighting in the war?"

"Yeah," Zuko answered after a moment and I nodded.

"I used to live in the Southern Water Tribe," I told her. "I haven't seen my family in ten years."

"What are you doing so far out here?" Song's mother asked gently.

"Looking for my place in the world."

A small smile broke across my features as I began eating. Once we were finished with dinner, Zuko and I walked outside. While Zuko took a seat on the porch to begin meditating, I leaned against one of the wooden beams and stared up at the waning moon. The fireflies drifted across the sky and I couldn't help but smile at the serenity of it all. Only a few minutes later, Song came outside as well.

"Can I join you?" she asked. I nodded, but Zuko made no movement. Song moved to sit beside Zuko, right behind where I was standing. "I know what you've been through. We've all been through it. The Fire Nation has hurt you." I turned to see how Zuko would respond. Song reached up to touch the scar from his burn, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her. Song pulled her hand away. "It's okay. They've hurt me too."

Song lifted up the skirt and pant leg of her hanbok, revealing red scars that licked the pale skin around her calf. Zuko's good eye widened in shock. I stared sadly at the burns, leaning so that my back was out of their line of vision, though it was covered by my Water Tribe dress.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I murmured. Less than an hour later, we were preparing to leave. Zuko, Iroh and I were outside with Song and her mother as they bid us goodbye.

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent," Iroh said. I smiled softly and nodded.

"You're welcome," Song's mother answered. "It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such… gusto." I chuckled softly as she searched for the right words. Zuko was motionless and silent and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind.

"Much practice," Iroh answered, patting his stomach. Iroh and I bowed to them as Zuko turned to leave. "Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people."

"Thank you," Zuko murmured as he bowed politely to them.

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there _is_ hope. The Avatar has returned," Song called out, hoping to cheer Zuko up. Little did she know, she'd struck a nerve.

"I know."

I frowned slightly and followed after him as Song and her mother reentered their home. Iroh was right behind me. Just as we exited the gate, Zuko stopped walking. I turned to look at him and my jaw dropped as he took the ostrich-horse from where it had been tied up.

"What are you doing? These people just showed you great kindness," Iroh whispered.

"They're about to show us a little more kindness. Well," Zuko prompted, holding out a hand.

"This is wrong," I hissed as Iroh and I climbed onto the animal's back, disappearing into the forest. I looked behind us to see the door to Song's house close. Whoever had seen us didn't say a word. My eyes dropped and I wrapped my arms around Zuko's torso, resting my head on his back, and allowed myself to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

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**Please R&R.**


	22. Chapter 21

**I'm sorry it's been so long, but I just haven't written any new chapters. Chapter 23 is the last one I have on reserve. I just... haven't been able to hold my interest in Avatar for a while, and I don't know why... But anyway, here's the latest chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters. I only have Kala and the random OCs I throw into the mix.**

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It had been weeks since we left Song's village. We lived on the streets, Iroh often begging for money from passersby. Needless to say, Zuko hated this. He believed that we shouldn't have to beg, that those people should give him what he wanted because he was royalty. Zuko still had a hard time adjusting to the fact that, to those people, he was not royalty. To his own people, he was not royalty. I would never say such a thing to him, though. All Zuko had left was hope to return to the Fire Nation, and I couldn't take that from him.

I'd been having the strangest reoccurring dream for the past week, one I wasn't sure I should follow. Each night, I saw a strange old man who looked emaciated and had a long, white beard that flowed down the length of his torso. Not a strand of hair was to be seen atop his head and he wore clothes, or rags I should say, that looked to belong to wandering monks. Each night I saw him, he said the same thing: _Learn to use the chakras. Come to the Eastern Air Temple at spring's end._ Then he would talk about something that had no bearing on what was stated before. I always awoke confused, but I'd never been able to speak to him in the dream. More than once, I'd wondered if this was another strange occurrence that came with being Half the Avatar.

"Kala, have you seen my nephew?" Iroh asked, drawing me out of my thoughts. I glanced around the small forest dwelling we'd been staying in, but Zuko was gone. I stepped outside briefly, but there was no sign of him. I shook my head.

"He probably just went for a walk," I offered, taking a seat. Only moments later, two large baskets were dropped in front of us, as well as an hour-glass shaped melon. I looked up to see that Zuko had brought them.

"Where did you get these?" Iroh asked, voicing the question both of us had on our minds.

"What does it matter where they came from?" Zuko retorted as he walked out of the shelter. Iroh stared after Zuko and took a bite out of a pastry that had been brought. I grabbed a small loaf of bread from one of the baskets and ran after Zuko.

"Wait!" I called. Zuko stopped and turned to face me. "Where are you going?"

"For a walk."

"May I join you?"

"Just stay with Uncle."

"But, Zuko-"

"Leave me alone!" he yelled and stormed off.

I stared after him, tears forming in my eyes. I wasn't used to him behaving this way, not to me, at least. It hurt to think that my best friend no longer wanted anything to do with me. Did it have something to do with what happened back at the North Pole, with Kayl? No. Zuko didn't know the full extent of that. Besides, what would it have mattered to him? With a sigh, I turned and walked back to the shelter, where Iroh was still eating the food Zuko had brought. I quickly wiped away my tears and began picking at the bread I still held in my hand. Zuko had disappeared for hours, once again. He returned in the evening with more food and clothes… more than we had the money for.

"Looks like you did some serious shopping," Iroh said as he took a seat once again in front of the fire. "But where did you get the money?"

"Do you like your new teapot?" Zuko asked, obviously changing the subject.

"To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup. I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty."

"There's no honor for me without the Airbender."

"Zuko," I whispered, "even if you _did_ capture Aang, it wouldn't solve all of your problems."

"Then there is no hope at all."

"There's always hope, Zuko. You just have to know where to look for it. If there's one thing I've learned in the past ten years, it's that."

"In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself," Iroh added. "That is the meaning of inner strength." Zuko looked back at us before abruptly standing and leaving the shelter once again. This time, he was only gone all night. When he returned the next morning, he looked as though he'd hadn't slept at all.

"Uncle, I thought a lot about what you and Kala said," he started, standing before us.

"You did?" Iroh asked hopefully. "Good, good."

"It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together." I gasped and stared at Zuko with wide eyes.

"No," I whispered.

"I need to find my own way." Zuko picked up his backpack and began walking into the forest.

"Wait!" Iroh called, causing Zuko to turn around. I took the reins of the ostrich-horse and handed them to Zuko.

"You'll need this," I told him, choking back the tears that were beginning to form in my eyes. Zuko mounted the creature and looked back at us one last time before disappearing into the trees. Once he was out of sight, I let out a soft sob.

"It will be alright, Kala. You'll see," Iroh said gently, placing an arm over my shoulders. I nodded and wiped my eyes. I could only hope he was right. After a moment of silence, I was able to find my voice.

"Iroh… Could you begin teaching me how to Firebend?" He smiled softly.

"Of course."

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**So, I have to ask: Is there anyone who REALLY wants me to continue writing this? If so, please state so in your review (if you leave one. I'm not asking for reviews, just an answer on whether or not it's worth continuing). Please R&R.**


	23. Chapter 22

**I have good news: I WILL be continuing this story. I've even caught up with that 6-chapter thing I was doing and have those extras. By the way, I already LOVE what I've written for the "Tales of Ba Sing Se" episode, but I can't post it yet. But I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or the characters belonging to it. I only have Kala and my other OCs.**

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"Remember to keep your stance steady, Kala," Iroh reminded me as I stood with my legs far apart with my knees bent.

I slowly took a deep breath in before silently releasing it through my mouth. Iroh had been training me since Zuko left almost a week before, teaching me the proper stances. I'd told him before we started that I wanted to make sure I could control anything I created. I didn't want to hurt anyone I cared about with the flames, like I almost did to Zuko so many months earlier, like had been done to me in the past.

I began shifting my weight, going through the motions I'd been taught. Slowly, I kicked the air, keeping my form perfect, but didn't release any flames. I didn't feel ready to do that just yet. Gradually, I increased the speed of my movements, making them a bit sharper each time. With each move I made, I imagined Zuko Firebending, how he kept his stance strong and movements quick. I spun on my heel, only to lose my footing and fall flat on my back.

"Same place," I muttered.

"You're doing very well, Kala. Your determination drives you. Come, let's continue our travels."

Iroh was always so understanding as I struggled to learn the forms of Firebending. I hadn't tried to use fire since that first time with Zuko, when we learned what I was. I was beginning to realize how much more to Firebending there was than what I saw. Iroh lifted the small pack he had and carried it on his shoulders as I picked up my side bag. We'd been following Zuko from a distance since he'd left. Iroh and I both agreed that we wanted to be there, in case he needed us. The two of us walked for much of the day, eventually stopping to rest on the side of the dirt road, behind a large boulder. My feet were aching and I leaned back with a soft sigh. Only minutes later, I felt something hard hit my back, sending my flying forwards with a scream. The same happened to Iroh.

"Ow…" I groaned, rubbing my now very sore back.

"That hurt my tailbone," Iroh added. I looked behind me to see our attacker standing on top of the rock we'd been previously leaning against. She was a girl who appeared to be a few years younger than me. She had short black hair that was held back by a green headband, pale skin and green, pupil-less eyes. She wore the clothes of someone from the Earth Kingdom. From her eyes, I would guess that she was blind.

"Who are you?" the girl demanded.

"Not thieves, if that's what you think," I answered, sitting up straight, feeling the stiffness beginning to set into my back muscles. I'd surely have a bruise later. Then, to my surprise, Iroh invited her to have tea with us. Even more surprising was that the girl agreed. Iroh set up a small fire and holder for the tea pot and began brewing. The sun was beginning to set as he poured tea for each of us. I was still curious as to whom this girl was, but I figured it was probably best not to ask.

"Here is your tea," Iroh said as he held up a cup for the girl. I took my cup as well. The girl didn't move. "You seem a little too young to be traveling alone." The girl grabbed her cup, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"You seem a little too old," she retorted, causing both of us to chuckle.

"Perhaps I am, but I have Kala to keep me company."

"I know what you're thinking: I look like I can't handle being by myself."

"I wasn't thinking that."

"Neither was I. You floored us both without even trying. You seem like you can handle yourself," I added with a smile, though I knew she couldn't see it.

"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea," the girl answered, taking a sip.

"I poured you tea because I wanted to," Iroh answered, "and for no other reason."

"People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me, but I can take care of myself _by_ myself."

"You sound like a good friend of mine, his nephew," I told her. "You think you need to do things on your own, without anyone's support." I cleared my throat quietly to keep myself from tearing up.

"There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you," Iroh added. "Not that I love you, er… I just met you." The girl giggled and I could see a genuine smile on her face.

"So, where _is_ your nephew?"

"We've been tracking him, actually."

"Is he lost?"

"A little," I murmured, finishing my tea.

"His life has recently changed and he's going through very difficult times," Iroh explained. "He's trying to figure out who he is, and he went away."

"So, now you're following him."

"I know he doesn't want us around right now, but he needs us, we'll be there."

"Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it. Thank you," the girl said a she set her cup down and stood up.

"Our pleasure," Iroh answered kindly. "Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights."

"No. Thank you for what you said. It helped me."

"That's good," I answered. "Maybe we'll meet again sometime."

"Maybe. Oh, and about that boy, maybe you guys should tell him that you need him too."

With that, she left us to think over what she'd said. It wasn't long before we packed up and began on our journey again, following Zuko's trail. The sun was closing in on the horizon when Iroh and I arrived at an old, run down village that didn't look much bigger than the Fire Nation Palace itself. There, we found Zuko lying on the ground unconscious. All around me, I could hear the sounds of fire crackling, as well as yells from familiar voices: Aang, Katara and Sokka. I quickly ran to Zuko's side and shook his shoulders.

"Zuko, wake up," I whispered urgently. Iroh came and kneeled beside his nephew as well. Zuko opened his eyes and stared up at us.

"Kala… Uncle?" he asked, as though unsure he was really seeing us.

"Get up," Iroh ordered, holding out a hand for Zuko.

He slowly stood and the three of us ran to help aid in the fight that was taking place. As we rounded a corner, I saw Azula running away from Aang and his friends. She ran right into Iroh and was knocked into the corner of a dilapidated building. Surrounding her were Aang, Katara, Sokka, Iroh, Zuko, the girl I'd met before and me. All of us were ready to attack.

"Well, look at this," Azula said, her voice sounding as though she still had a plan hidden up her sleeve. That was just how she was. "Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done. I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."

In the next second, Azula sent a stream of her unique blue flames straight at Iroh, hitting his chest and sending him flying backwards. An expression of horror crossed Zuko's face and I ran to Iroh's side. Aang, Katara, Zuko and the nameless girl each sent an attack at the Fire Nation princess. Four elements combined on her as a focal point, creating an explosion. Zuko immediately knelt beside me and growled over Iroh's unconscious form. Aang and his friends approached as well.

"Get away from us!" Zuko yelled. Tears brimmed in my eyes as I stared down at the hole burned into Iroh's clothes, just above his heart. The girl we'd shared tea with was horrified.

"Zuko, I can help," Katara pleaded, stepping forward.

"Leave!" He shot a horizontal stream of flames over their heads, causing them to duck in order to avoid it. Aang and his friends quickly ran away while Zuko and I remained by Iroh's side as ominous black clouds rose from the flames of the burning buildings.

"We have to get him out of here," I whispered, my voice breaking. I rubbed my eyes and saw a few tears falling from Zuko's eyes as well. He nodded and the two of us began taking care of Iroh.

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**There's the latest chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please R&R.**


	24. Chapter 23

**So, two chapters in a twenty-four hour period... Yeah, I've been writing quite a bit today. lol. Let me tell you, chapter 29 was such a PAIN to write today, simply because it's really long... It's the one with Guru Pathik, for anyone who wants to try and gauge how long it'll be... yeah... lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala.**

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I sat beside Iroh as he slept in the old, barely standing house Zuko and I had found the day before. He seemed to be having a bad dream, but I didn't know what I could do to help. After a moment, Iroh slowly opened his eyes and Zuko knelt beside him.

"Uncle," Zuko said. "You were unconscious." Iroh struggled to sit up and I put my hands on his shoulders to help him.

"Azula did this," I added bitterly. "It was surprise attack."

"Somehow, that's not so surprising," Iroh answered and I chuckled softly as he leaned back against the wall. Zuko reached behind him and grabbed a cup of tea from the pot he'd brewed.

"I hope I made it the way you like it," he said, a bit unsure, as he handed it to Iroh. I had insisted on making the tea, but Zuko refused to let me. To be honest, I didn't think he could brew tea properly. I was proven correct when Iroh's eyes widened in disgust at the taste of the tea. He said nothing, however about that, instead saying that it was good. He quickly downed the rest of it.

"That was very… bracing," he said and I bit back a chuckle. Zuko poured him another cup before pouring one for himself and me. When Zuko's eyes were away, Iroh dumped his tea out of the window behind him.

"So, Uncle, I've been thinking… It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced Firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: She's my sister and I should try to get along with her."

"No. She's crazy and she needs to go down." Zuko nodded as Iroh slowly pushed himself up, standing on his own. "It's time to resume your training, Zuko. Kala, I don't want you attempting anything you see me teaching my nephew until you are further along with your own Firebending."

"Yes, sir," I answered, setting down my teacup. I hadn't taken a drink from it. I watched as Iroh took a seat in front of the small fire Zuko had made and began brewing his own tea, for which I was grateful.

"Lightning is a pure expression of Firebending, without aggression," he said. "It is not fueled by rage or emotion like other Firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire." As he spoke, he poured tea for each of us. "It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind."

"I see," Zuko answered. "That's why we're drinking tea: to calm the mind."

"Oh, yeah. Good point," Iroh said with a chuckle and I forced myself to withhold a laugh. "I mean, yes." Once we finished our tea, Iroh led us outside, to the overlooking cliff.

"It's beautiful out here," I murmured, taking a deep breath.

"There is energy all around us. The energy is both Yin and Yang; Positive energy and negative energy."

"Tui and La."

"That's right, Kala. Only a select few Firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in the moment the positive and negative energies come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning." Iroh motioned for us to step back and I watched in awe as he formed blue tendrils of light from his fingertips before releasing the lightning into the air.

"I'm ready to try it," Zuko announced.

"Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first."

Zuko took a deep breath and followed the same motions Iroh did, but no light formed from his fingertips. There was no crackling in the air, nor did I feel the static as I should have. When Zuko tried to release the lightning, it exploded in his face, causing him to fly backwards. I knelt beside him to make sure he was alright, only to be shrugged off.

"I'm fine," he snapped.

"Kala, why don't you practice your form for a little bit?" Iroh suggested and I nodded slowly.

I walked farther away from Zuko and began working on my form, moving slowly at first. As I did, Zuko continued to try his hand at lightning, each time causing an explosion only inches away from his hands. I pushed my thoughts aside and only moved on instinct, my movements fast and sharp. At the same time, though, they held a degree of fluidity and I couldn't help but wonder if I was doing something wrong. Iroh never corrected me. Another explosion went off and I heard Zuko growl.

"Why can't I do it?" he demanded. "Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face, like everything always does!" I stopped moving and turned to face Zuko, a frown set in my features. Iroh stood from where he was sitting by the house and walked forward.

"I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you," he said.

"What turmoil?"

"_That_ turmoil," I answered, walking forward as well, until I was standing face to face with Zuko. "If you want to stop being so angry, you have to stop feeling shame for things that aren't your fault."

"Kala is right, Zuko," Iroh said.

"But I don't feel any shame at all," Zuko answered obstinately. "I'm as proud as ever."

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

"Well, my life has been nothing _but_humbling lately."

"I have another idea. I will teach you a Firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself. Kala, you may want to pay attention as well, because this will help you later." I nodded with a smile as Zuko and I both sat in front of Iroh. He grabbed a stick and began drawing into the dirt, making the symbol of the Fire Nation. "Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want." He continued drawing the symbols of the four nations. "Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor." Zuko remained silent, but I found myself chuckling quietly. I could see Aang as a 'happy go lucky' kind of kid. "Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things, as Kala has done so well in the past. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything. Kala, you have shown this a hundred times over in the past few months alone, never mind the past ten years you have been with Prince Zuko." I blushed lightly with a small smile.

"Why are you telling me these things?" Zuko asked.

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. Kala, when you are practicing your form, what do you think of?"

"I… I think of Zuko, and what I've seen him do, but I guess I also draw a little bit from my roots as a Waterbender because I notice my movements aren't as sharp," I answered, averting my eyes to the ground.

"It is clearly visible when I watch you. I see you doing the same things Zuko has done, but you are right about your movements. They are sharp, like fire, but still retain the grace of water. See, Prince Zuko, if you take wisdom from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."

"All this four-elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff," Zuko commented.

"That is partially why I asked Kala to listen as well. It is the combination of all four elements in two people that creates what we know as the Avatar, and makes them so powerful. But it can make _you_ more powerful too. You see, the technique I'm about to teach you, is one I learned by studying the Waterbenders." I gasped quietly in shock and I could see Zuko's eyes widened.

"You learned from my people?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes, though not from your tribe. I traveled to the Northern Water Tribe in my younger years and was treated with great kindness by them. I made a few friends from there as well."

"That's amazing!" Zuko and I stood, but Iroh motioned me towards the house we were staying in. I was not to attempt what he was about to show Zuko, but I was welcome to watch. Zuko and Iroh stood face to face and began moving in a circular pattern with their arms in front of them, much like how I first practiced Waterbending when I was young.

"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A Waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I'm sure you have seen Kala do this many times, Prince Zuko. I learned a way to do this with lightning."

"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" Zuko asked excitedly. I immediately thought back to the storm on Zuko's ship, when Iroh had redirected a lightning strike from the clouds. I also remembered when he'd stopped Azula from attacking Zuko the first day we saw her.

"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm, to your shoulder, then down into your stomach. The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi. Only in my case, it's more like a vast ocean. From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, where the damage could be deadly."

As Iroh spoke he demonstrated the movements. When he finished my eyes widened in fear and I stared at Zuko. I could only pray he wouldn't ever forget the proper way to redirect lightning. "You may wish to try a physical motion, to get a feel for the pathway's flow, like this." I watched as the two of them began going through the motions of redirecting lightning and I couldn't help but smile. It was fun to watch Zuko learn something based off of my element, just like I thought of him to learn his native element. "Are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up and out?"

"I think so," Zuko answered. Iroh began moving his arms in a wave-like motion.

"Come on, you've got to feel the flow," he said, moving his arms in a wave-like motion. That was finally enough and I started laughing, bending over where I sat. Finally, as the sun was finally setting, they finished. "Excellent. You've got it."

"Great! I'm ready to try with real lightning."

"What?" I demanded. "Are you crazy?"

"Lightning is every dangerous," Iroh explained calmly.

"I thought that was the point: You teaching me how to protect myself from it."

"Yeah, but I'm not going to shoot lightning at you. If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all." Thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance and I knew what Zuko was thinking before he even said anything.

"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning." Zuko grabbed the ostrich-horse and was about to leave, when I mounted as well. "Kala, what are you doing?"

"I'm not about to let you go on your own. If something happens, I want to be there," I answered.

Zuko kicked the sides of the ostrich-horse, sending it running towards the higher parts of the mountains. When we got there, Zuko left me with the ostrich-horse, at the lower part of the mountain, while he went up to the summit. He was only gone for a few minutes before I ran up as well, in the torrential downpour. I used my Waterbending to push the rain away from me, creating an invisible umbrella.

"Come on! Strike me!" Zuko yelled, screaming at the sky. "You've never held back before!" He yelled out again before dropping to his hands and knees. I knelt down beside him, pushing back the water above him as well.

"Zuko, you have nothing to prove to this storm," I whispered gently. "Come on, let's go back. It's not safe here, for anyone." Even in the rain, I could see his tears and watched his shoulders tremble. Dropping the intangible umbrella I'd created, I threw my arms around Zuko and held him tightly. "Please, Zuko, you don't have to do this. I _know_ you're strong. You're stronger than Azula, stronger than your father… and you're so much stronger than me."

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**And that little bit at the end, my dear readers, is what I like to call "angsty-fluff". DragonofTwilight and I agree that it's such a fun way to write. XD Please R&R.**


	25. Chapter 24

**Well, now that I've gotten new motivation, I've been writing this like crazy. lol. I'm pretty glad for it, really. I just finished typing chapter 30. Can you believe it? It took thirty chapters to get entirely through the first two seasons... That's right, I'm about to start writing for the third season. I'm in the home stretch now. I can't give up, and if I ever start hinting that I'm thinking about doing so, someone please yell at me. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or its characters. I only have Kala and the random OCs I throw in.**

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Only days later, Zuko, Iroh and I were continuing our travels deeper into the Earth Kingdom. For the time being, we were simply trying to get to the next town as soon as possible to stock up on supplies. As we were riding the ostrich-horse through a rocky area, Iroh began groaning as though in pain.

"Iroh, are you alright?" I asked.

"Maybe we should make camp," Zuko suggested.

"No, please, don't stop just for me," Iroh answered, though he continued to sound as though something was hurting him. He began groaning loudly again and Zuko stopped the ostrich-horse as Iroh sat on a nearby rock. Our ostrich-horse suddenly jerked his head to the right and Zuko stood in the ready position to attack. I moved to stand next to Iroh, reaching for the water-pouch at my hip. "What now?" In the next moment, we were surrounded by four Fire Nation men riding komodo-rhinos.

"Who are they?" I asked Iroh.

"Colonel Mongke! What a pleasant surprise!"

"If you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps," Mongke answered and his men lifted weapons against us.

"You know these guys?" Zuko asked his uncle and Iroh smiled.

"Sure. Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons' specialist. They are also a very capable singing group," he explained. I glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"We're not here to give a concert!" Mongke yelled. "We're here to apprehend fugitives!"

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kahchi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"

"Enough stalling! Round 'em up!"

A pair of ball and chains flew at us from behind and Iroh deftly kicked them to the side, as though they were nothing. I pulled the water from my pouch and froze the chain around another komodo-rhino's leg as Iroh slapped it into running. As it did, the soldier who threw the ball and chain was ripped off of his komodo-rhino. Fire began flying between an archer, Zuko, Iroh and Mongke and I was almost caught in awe. The control they had over their element was something I could only wish for at that point in my training. I quickly snapped myself out of my stupor and ran for the ostrich-horse, mounting it as Iroh also jumped on. We rode past Zuko, who leapt from a komodo-rhino and landed behind Iroh as I steered the animal. Iroh took the reins from my hands as an explosive was thrown in front of us and he directed us out of the cloud of smoke.

"It's nice to see old friends," Iroh said as we rode away.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends who don't want to attack you," Zuko answered with a scowl.

"Hmmm… Old friends that don't want to attack me." I leaned forward and held the mane of the ostrich-horse as Iroh continued to steer down the path.

It wasn't long before we were able to find a small outpost town on the outskirts of the desert and stop to rest. The three of us dismounted the ostrich-horse and I tied him to a post near a tavern. As Iroh, Zuko and I entered the tavern, we found it to be quite tame with very few people inside. We found a seat in the back corner and Iroh ordered tea.

"No one here is going to help us," Zuko muttered. "These people just look like filthy wanderers."

"So do we," Iroh pointed out.

I almost chuckled, until I looked down at my own clothing with a grimace. We'd been traveling for days with little opportunity to stop and rest for long. While I had an extra of Water Tribe clothing in the bag slung over my shoulder, the clothes I was wearing were far from freshly-cleaned. Iroh looked over Zuko's shoulder and pointed to a man at a Pai Shō table.

"That's interesting," I murmured. "I didn't expect to find someone who played in a place like this."

"I think I found a friend," Iroh answered with a smile on his face.

"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Shō?" Zuko demanded in a hushed tone.

"I don't think this is a gamble." Iroh stood and approached the game table, with Zuko and me close behind.

"This could be fun," I offered with a shrug when I saw Zuko's displeased expression.

"May I have this game?" Iroh asked the old man seated before the table.

"The guest has the first move," the man answered and Iroh took a seat.

Zuko stood beside me to watch from behind his uncle. Iroh picked up a White Lotus tile and placed it in the center of the board; I knew it was his signature first move. A small smile crossed my lips as I thought back to him teaching me to play the game. He'd promised to find a White Lotus tile for me to keep, but we'd had been unsuccessful. In our current situation, I wasn't worried about it. There were more important things for me to be thinking about than a game tile.

"You know, Zuko, this game is actually fun once you understand it," I whispered, but Zuko only glanced away, as if to dismiss my statement. He was still adamant in his thoughts that the game was useless.

"I see you favor the White Lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." The old man folded his hands and then opened them like a flower blooming. Iroh did the same as he began to speak.

"Those who do can always find a friend," he answered and I was suddenly aware that this would be more than a simple game of Pai Shō.

"Then let us play."

Tiles were placed around the board in rapid succession, each carefully following the rules of the game. My eyes darted around the board in hopes I could understand this odd dance of tiles, but I soon became lost in the process. I glanced at Zuko and saw a very confused expression on his face; I couldn't help but chuckle. The final two gambits were placed on the board and I found that they were placed in the form of a lotus, with the White Lotus tile in the center. My jaw dropped.

"Wow," I breathed.

"Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets," the old man said with a gentle smile.

"What are you old gasbags talking about?" Zuko demanded.

"Zuko," I hissed. "Don't be rude."

"I always try to tell you that Pai Shō is more than just a game. I see you have begun to understand this, Kala," Iroh answered, flipping the White Lotus over his knuckles.

"It's over!" a gruff voice yelled and we turned to see two Earth Kingdom men approaching. One was very muscular and walking without a shirt. He looked especially angry. The man beside him was much calmer, but also thinner. It seemed like a classic duo of brains and brawn. "You three fugitives are coming with me!"

"I knew it!" the old man yelled, stepping in front of the bounty hunters. "You three are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!"

"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko hissed at his uncle. I took a step backwards, my eyes wide as I stared at the two men who wanted to capture us.

"He is. Just watch," Iroh whispered, grabbing both mine and Zuko's shoulders.

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?" the old man demanded of the bounty hunters. The mention of gold caught the attention of the other men in the room, who all stood from their chairs in turn. Within seconds, a brawl broke out within the tavern and we were able to slip away with the old man to his flower shop.

"Thank you for helping us," I said with a slight bow to the old man.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus," he responded and bowed to Iroh. I glanced at Zuko's uncle with wide eyes. He'd always been speaking of the importance of the White Lotus tile, but I would never have guessed there was a group based around it. "Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets." The old man walked past Iroh, heading for the back room.

"Now that you've played Pai Shō, are you going to do some flower arranging or it someone in this club gonna offer some _real_ help?" Zuko demanded and I sighed. He really was too impatient at times.

"You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate, and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts. Miss Kala is on her way to learning," Iroh offered the old man and I blushed lightly. The man who owned the flower shop knocked on the back door twice and a slit opened.

"Who knocks at the garden gate?" a man asked through the slit.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." The door opened and Iroh entered with the old man. Zuko began after them, but was shut out. "I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here." Zuko growled in frustration and I covered my mouth to hide a chuckle.

"Be patient, Zuko," I said gently.

"We have two bounty hunters after us. How can you expect me to be patient?" he demanded.

"They don't know we're in here. We've found refuge in the arms of the Order of the White Lotus."

"Do you know what it is?"

"No, but your uncle is apparently a high-ranking member. I trust him and his judgment. So be a bit more like a Waterbender and relax for the time being."

Zuko sighed in resignation and leaned against one of the support beams with his arms crossed. I smiled softly and sat on the ground with my back against the support beam across from Zuko. It wasn't long before I fell asleep and I was once again visited by a strange dream. _Learn to use the chakras. Come to the Eastern Air Temple at spring's end_. It was that same old man, with his incoherent babbling and insistence that I leave for the Eastern Air Temple. Even in my dream, I couldn't understand the importance of it. What did mastering the chakras have to do with me trying to put an end to this war?

"Kala, wake up," Iroh's voice urged and I felt a hand gently shake my shoulder. My eyes snapped open and I rubbed them groggily in the sunlight. I'd slept through the night.

"Iroh… Is everything alright?" I asked with a yawn and stood slowly. My back was sore from my odd sleeping position and I stretched to try and relieve the stiffness.

"Everything is taken care of. We are going to Ba Sing Se."

"Ba Sing Se?" Zuko repeated incredulously. "Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"

"The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice three more. You'll simply need to be sure no one realizes you have a Half with you," the old man who'd aided us explained. My eyes widened and I wondered if he'd figured out on his own that I was a Half, or if Iroh had told him.

"We can hide in plain sight there," Iroh elaborated. "And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even _I_ couldn't break through to the city. It will protect us, and give Kala a safe place until she is ready to fulfill her destiny." At that moment, the door to the shop opened and a young man stepped inside.

"I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the street looking for them," he said. Through the slit in the front door, we could see that the two men from the tavern were still searching for us.

"The three of you may hide in here," the old man suggested, directing Iroh, Zuko and I towards three very large pots. "And my grandson can bring you outside without those men finding you."

"You have been very helpful, my friend. Thank you," Iroh said and we each climbed into a pot, covered with a wooden board, some dirt and flowers to make the vessels look innocuous. Within those flowerpots, we were safely taken away from the town.

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**Please R&R.**


	26. Chapter 25

**Wow... I've really been cranking these out, huh? Well, here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or its characters. I only have Kala and the random OCs I throw in.**

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It wasn't long before the three of us made it to Full Moon Bay. Iroh presented the woman at the ticket desk with the passports provided to us by the old man from the flower shop and we were admitted onto one of the ferries that would be leaving shortly. As we stood on the deck, near the railing, I couldn't help but think of all the people who had been affected by Azulon and Ozai's rules in such a negative way. Those ferry rides needed to be hidden, and so many people were boarding them to find refuge within the walls of Ba Sing Se. It would have been unbelievable had I not lived it.

"Who would have thought after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace… as a tourist," Iroh said as the boat left for the city. He placed a wide-brimmed hat on his head and grinned at Zuko and me. Zuko scowled and looked away.

"Look around. We're not tourists. We're refugees," he muttered, picking up a bowl of food that had been given by the people who worked on the ferry. He took a sip of it, but immediately spit it out. I looked down at my own bowl with a frown. "I'm sick of eating rotten food, and sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this."

"Aren't we all?" a young man asked and we turned around to see the speaker. He had messy brown hair and wore some kind of armor, though it wasn't high-quality like the ones I'd grown up seeing. In the boy's mouth was a piece of wheat that he was chewing on. "My name's Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot." Two more people approached. One was a boy with what looked like a rice-paper hat on his head. The other was a boy who looked like he was only just hitting the age of puberty.

"Hey," the younger one, Smellerbee, said and Longshot nodded in greeting.

"Hello," Zuko greeted and I smiled softly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I added.

"Here's the deal. I hear the captain's eating like a king while us refugees have to feed off his scraps," Jet began. "Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of king is he eating like?" Iroh asked.

"The fat happy kind." Drool began running down Iroh's chin and I shook my head slowly.

"And what exactly are you proposing, Jet?" I asked, hoping he wasn't thinking of trying something that would blow our cover and get us into trouble.

"We plan to _liberate_ some food. Are you guys interested?" Zuko threw his bowl overboard.

"I'm in," he answered.

"I'm not going to help you steal anything, _Lee_," I answered sternly. "I'll stay here with your uncle."

"We won't make you do anything you don't want to," Jet offered with a crooked smile. He then looked me over and cocked an eyebrow. "You're from the Water Tribe, aren't you?" I glanced down at my clothes from the Northern Water Tribe and gave him a gentle smile.

"That's right."

"I knew a Water Tribe girl and her brother." My eyes widened and I leaned forward slightly, no doubt with a hopeful look on my face.

"What were their names?" I asked. Jet gave me a suspicious look and crossed his arms over his chest.

"The girl's name was Katara." A grin crossed my lips and I leaned back against the railing of the ferry.

"She was a friend of mine when I was little. Was she doing well?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad," I answered with a smile.

That evening, Zuko left with Jet and the Freedom Fighters to "liberate" food from the captain's quarters, as Jet had put it. I'd chosen to remain on the main deck with Iroh while the four of them left on their little mission. I didn't agree with Zuko stealing, and wished he wouldn't.

"Is something bothering you, Kala?" Iroh asked as we waited for Zuko to return.

"It's nothing," I murmured and stared out at the nearly full moon. "Nothing to worry about." It wasn't long before Zuko, Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot returned and passed food out to all the passengers about the ferry. I took what was offered to me and ate silently while Iroh talked with the others.

"So, Smellerbee… That's an unusual name for a young man," he said.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl!" Smellerbee yelled and I nearly choked on my dinner. The girl glared harshly at me and stood, walking away.

"Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" Iroh tried to reconcile. Longshot stood and followed after Smellerbee. Without saying a word, he was able to calm her down again. Jet joined Iroh, Zuko and me after he finished passing food out to the passengers.

"From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se," he said as he sat down. "I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

"It is a magnificent sight."

"So you've been there before?"

"Once, when I was a different man."

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of," Jet began. "But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance." I looked up at Jet with a sympathetic expression. I could understand his feelings, knowing all I'd done in the Northern Water Tribe.

"That is very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances," Iroh answered, looking at Zuko and me. I smiled and rubbed my eyes to wipe a tear from them. Jet nodded in agreement and left to join his Freedom Fighters.

"You've been quiet again," Zuko said quietly after Jet had left. I shook my head and reached for one of the blankets that were provided by the ferry.

"I'm just tired, that's all," I lied and covered myself with the blanket as I rested on my side. There was no use in me telling Zuko about my guilt over what happened in the Northern Water Tribe, or my displeasure with him stealing. Neither would change anything, so I didn't bother speaking of them. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall asleep, only to be visited once more by that strange dream with the old man.

The next morning, I stood by Zuko at the bow of the ferry as we neared the other side of Full Moon Bay. There was a mist in the air that made it feel heavy. Or maybe I was the only one who felt the heaviness. Iroh was still asleep and it wasn't long before Jet approached us.

"You know," he began, "as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were." Zuko and I both tensed and my hand clenched around the water pouch at my waist, ready to pop the cork open. "You're both outcasts, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs, because no one else will."

"I've realized lately that being on your own isn't always the best path," Zuko answered and I looked up at him with a smile.

I took his hand and rested my head on his shoulder, happy that he really understood that he didn't have to be alone when he had his uncle and me with him. The outer wall of Ba Sing Se came into view and my smile grew. That wall marked the start of a new beginning.

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**Please R&R.**


	27. Chapter 26

**This chapter isn't quite as long or interesting as some of my other chapters, but it will get better in the chapters to come. After all, chapter 28 is Tales of Ba Sing Se, and I've given Kala a nice experience to have for her own Tale. ;) Please be patient and good things will come, I promise. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or its characters. I only have Kala.**

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After the ferry landed just inside the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, I disembarked with Iroh and Zuko and we began to walk towards the customs desk, where another woman would be checking our tickets and passports. I could understand why the officials of the city would feel the need to go through all this security. If a Fire Nation soldier were to enter Ba Sing Se, it would be devastating. Once we reached the desk, Iroh handed our passports and tickets to the woman at the counter.

"So, Mr. Lee, Miss Kala and Mr. uh, Mushy, is it?" she asked, mispronouncing Iroh's false name.

"It's pronounced Mushi," he corrected and I hid a chuckle behind my hand. The woman looked at Iroh from behind the passports with a frown.

"You telling me how to do my job?"

"Uh, no, no. But may I just say you're like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating."

The woman smiled coyly. "Mmmm. You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, handsome." She gave him a catty growl and pretended to scratch the air flirtatiously. Zuko grimaced beside me and I elbowed him in the side. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se." She stamped our passports and gave them back to Iroh, who turned to give them to Zuko and me. Zuko snatched the paper from his uncle's hand with an annoyed expression.

"I'm gonna forget I saw that," he muttered and began walking away. I hurried to walk alongside him.

"Oh, come on. It got us in. Besides, every girl likes to hear a compliment every once in a while. We typically prefer sincere ones, though," I said and glanced pointedly at Iroh, who merely grinned at me in response. We entered the terminal for the train into the city and found a bench while we waited. Only minutes after we'd sat down, Jet joined us again.

"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" he asked and I frowned. While I could admire his tenacity, I wasn't sure how I felt about him asking Zuko to join him. I wondered if he would be a bad influence on my dearest friend, something we couldn't afford in the position we were in.

"Get your hot tea here!" a vendor called before Zuko or I could speak. "Finest tea in Ba Sing Se." Iroh waved his hand for a cup and I smiled.

"Jasmine please," he called.

"I'll have the same as well," I added, pulling out a couple of copper pieces from my bag. The vendor poured tea for the both of us, accepted our payment, and walked away to continue selling his wares. I took a sip of my tea, and grimaced as I forced it down. Iroh spit his out with gusto.

"Coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it! What a disgrace."

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Jet asked, speaking primarily to Zuko, and stood. I gave Zuko a worried look that fell on blind eyes. He joined Jet to chat and I sighed, staring back down to my cold tea.

"Kala, let me warm that for you," Iroh offered and took the cup from my hands. In seconds, steam was rising from my tea, as well as his, and he handed it back to me.

"Thank you," I said with a smile.

"You seem to be troubled."

"I'm not sure I trust Jet. And I'm worried Zu—I mean, Lee might want to work with him."

"Have you spoken to my nephew about your concerns?"

"No, but…"

"I'm sure he will take your opinion to heart. He has before."

"I said no," I heard Zuko say as he turned back towards Iroh and me. A smile crossed my lips and I felt more at ease knowing I wouldn't have to worry about Jet getting to him anymore. I took a sip from my tea and closed my eyes contently.

"It would seem you troubled yourself over nothing," Iroh said with a chuckle before taking a sip from his own tea. Zuko suddenly knocked the cups out of our hands and leaned forward with a scowl.

"What are you doing Firebending your tea?" he demanded in a whisper. "For a wise old man, that was a pretty stupid move."

"Calm down," I urged gently.

"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilt tea, but… it's just so sad," Iroh answered dramatically.

"It'll be fine. Jet didn't see anything, did he?"

"He saw the steam," Zuko answered harshly.

"But he seems to trust you. After all, he keeps asking you to join his little gang."

"How can you be so calm?"

"Because I have more important things to worry about than the thoughts of a punk whose words are likely to be dismissed anyway," I snapped back. At that moment, the train arrived and I stood abruptly, walking briskly towards one of the cars with Zuko and Iroh close behind. We took our seats on the benches, right beside a couple with a newborn child. My frustration melted away as I stared at the infant and gave it a gentle smile.

"Your baby is beautiful," I murmured.

"Thank you," the new mother responded. "Her name is Hope."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby." The train pulled out of station as the sun was setting and we began on our way into the city of Ba Sing Se.

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**Please R&R.**


	28. Chapter 27

**This chapter is a bit more interesting than the last, mainly because it's got some stuff with Jet towards the end. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or its characters. I only have Kala and my random OCs.**

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The Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se was where Zuko, Iroh and I would be calling home for the time being. Being refugees and new arrivals to the city, the Lower Ring was where we 'belonged'. I wasn't sure how I felt about this caste system, but I couldn't really complain about it. After all, I'd lived as a mere servant for most of my life.

Still, I wasn't comfortable with the glances I was given by some of the rougher-looking members of this society. They looked like thieves and I walked close by Zuko, while Iroh looked at the shops we passed. After a few moments, he caught up with us, holding a large potted plant with bright orange flowers. They smelled heavenly. Zuko, on the other hand, didn't like them as much and directed a glare at his uncle.

"I just want our new place to look nice, in case someone brings home a friend," Iroh said, nudging both of us and winking. I blushed lightly and glanced away.

"This city is a prison," Zuko muttered. "I don't want to make a life here."

"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not."

"I'll be honest and say I almost preferred my former prison, but at least here, I'm a free person," I murmured as I looked around the city a bit more. The unfriendly faces were beginning to grow fewer and farther between, for which I was thankful. Zuko glanced down at me with a confused expression.

"What are you talking about?"

"The palace was nice, but it was still a prison. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without you, or the proper permission. I'm sure you've realized that I'm not traveling with you as a servant anymore, but as your friend."

"Of course I have," he answered quickly and I almost chuckled. He was flustered because he thought I was upset with him over my history in the Fire Nation. I knew he didn't see me as his servant anymore, and that he hadn't for quite a while now.

"So, Mushi, what will we be doing now?" I asked.

"I found us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon," Iroh answered.

"Where will we be working?"

"At a nice tea shop I found."

"Great," Zuko muttered and I nudged him with my elbow.

"That _does_ sounds great," I said with a smile.

That afternoon, Iroh brought Zuko and me to the tea shop we would be working at and we met with the manager. He seemed like a nice man and spoke with a smile much of the time. He seemed very happy to have three new people to be working for him as he gave us our aprons to wear.

"Well," he said, "you certainly _look_ like official tea-servers. How do you feel?" Zuko looked miserable in his uniform, while Iroh was still struggling to tie the apron behind his back. I pulled my hair into a ponytail so that I could keep it out of the way when we started working and smiled at the manager.

"Ready to begin," I answered.

"Ridiculous," Zuko muttered.

"Uh, does this possibly come in a large size?" Iroh asked.

"I have extra string in the back," the manager responded as he poured three cups of tea. "Have some tea while you wait." Iroh took a sip of his tea and grimaced. I frowned and poured mine into the nearest decorative plant, not willing to drink bad tea for the second time in twenty-four hours.

"This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice." I cocked an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Uncle, that's what _all_ tea is," Zuko said in an exasperated tone, voicing the same concern I had on my mind. Iroh looked astounded.

"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible? We'll have to make some major changes around here," Iroh answered and threw the tea from the pot out the window.

That evening, after work, the three of us returned to our new apartment and I began dinner. Iroh pulled out a few supplies from the cupboards and began preparing some tea to go with our meal. I began humming an old tune I'd once heard Zuko's mother sing when I was young as I searched for spark rocks to heat the stove.

"Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh asked.

"We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea," Zuko complained.

"Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing." I chuckled softly, interrupting my song, and then frowned when I realized we couldn't start a fire on the stove.

"Have either of you seen our spark rocks?" I asked. "I can't find them anywhere."

"Just a minute," Iroh answered and stepped out of the apartment. He returned moments later with two spark rocks in his hands. "I borrowed our neighbor's. Such kind people." He started a fire to heat the tea, and another one so I could cook before going back to return the rocks to our neighbors from across the hall.

"How do you want your meat cooked?"

"Medium, if it's not any trouble."

"Not at all. Zuko?"

"Well," he mumbled, still unhappy. I knew it was because he didn't like this kind of life, so I didn't bother him about it. Zuko had been used to luxury and being able to live well for so long, he still wasn't used to the idea of being a nameless face to many people. I had always been a nameless face to many people, except for a select few in the Fire Nation palace, so this wasn't anything new to me.

"Where are your manners?" Iroh asked his nephew.

"It's nothing. Don't worry," I answered calmly, as though I hadn't been thinking of anything but my task. Iroh looked me over to be sure I wasn't upset and returned to brewing his tea. I began humming the old tune again with a content smile as I slid the meat for our dinner across the pan to cook it.

The next evening, we had to work until after dark at the tea shop because we were short on people. The people who were supposed to be closing called in sick. Iroh had brewed his own tea for the evening and it was what we were serving to the customers.

"This is the finest tea I've ever had," one of the women said to me.

"I'll be sure to give your compliments to Mushi. He's the one who brewed it," I answered happily and placed the empty teapot on my tray so I could get another one from the back of the restaurant. Suddenly, the front door flew open and I turned around to see Jet standing there with an angry look on his face.

"I'm tired of waiting!" he yelled and pointed at Zuko and Iroh. "Those two men are Firebenders!" Jet drew two swords and the customers ran out of his way.

"Jet, stop this," I ordered sternly.

"No! You're on their side! I _know_ they're Firebenders. I saw the old man heating his tea!"

"He works in a tea shop," one of the customers, an officer, answered skeptically and I resisted the urge to smirk.

"He's a Firebender, I'm telling you!"

"Drop your swords, boy. Nice and easy."

"You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know," Jet threatened darkly as he approached with his swords forward. "Go ahead, show them what you can do." Zuko took two swords from the officer and stepped forward to fight.

"You want a show? I'll give you a show!" he answered.

Zuko kicked a table forward and Jet jumped over it to attack him from the air. I watched as Zuko leapt onto another table and carefully balanced on it while Jet sliced it into pieces. He jumped back to get momentum, and then ran forward at full speed to attack Zuko again. Thankfully, Zuko was skilled with dual swords and was able to stop the attack. Only moments later, Zuko was thrown out of the shop and into the street with a grunt and Jet ran outside to continue. Iroh and I ran to the doorway, both of us worried about Zuko. The two young men clashed swords again, each holding the other off.

"You must be getting tired of using those swords," Jet taunted. "Why don't you go ahead and Firebend at me?"

"Please, son, you're confused!" Iroh yelled, pleading with Jet. "You don't know what you're doing!" The swords flew in the night, gleaming off of the lights from street lanterns and buildings. My eyes were wide as I watched Jet and Zuko fight.

"Be careful!" I yelled, hoping Zuko wouldn't get himself hurt because of that punk.

"Bet you wish you could knock me out with a little fire blast right now," Jet continued to taunt. Zuko caught one of Jet's swords with his own in the street.

"_You're_ the one that needs help," he answered. Zuko swung at Jet, who leaned back to avoid the attack, and the tip of the wheat in his mouth was sliced off. Once the sword had passed over him, Jet leapt back and stood on a pillar.

"You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me! It'll never happen!" He jumped forward again to attack Zuko again. A crowd had now gathered in the streets as Zuko continued to defend himself against Jet's attacks. Finally, two men dressed in robes belonging to high-ranking officers in Ba Sing Se stepped forward.

"Drop your weapons!" one of them ordered. Zuko and Jet both stepped back and Jet pointed an accusing finger at Zuko again.

"Arrest them! They're Firebenders!" he yelled.

"This poor boy is confused," Iroh said. "We're just simple refugees." I ran forward and threw my arms around Zuko, causing him to drop his swords.

"Please don't arrest Lee," I pleaded with the officers, letting my voice break. "He was just trying to protect us after this boy drew his weapons in the tea shop and attacked us."

"It's true, sir," the customer from before verified. "We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea-maker in the city." The two officers who had arrived moved to take Jet into custody, but he swung his remaining sword at them. The older man caught it in a hand covered by a stone glove and twisted Jet's arm behind his back. Jet was dragged away from the scene, kicking and screaming.

"You don't understand!" he yelled. "They're Fire Nation, and that girl is on _their_ side! You have to believe me!"

The crowd soon dispersed and we were brought back into the tea shop with our manager. He apologized profusely and allowed us to go home to recover, saying he was going to close the shop early that night. As Iroh, Zuko and I walked home, it was mostly silent. We were all on-edge after Jet's attack.

"What was the crying for?" Zuko asked as we neared the apartment. I grinned and gave him a wink.

"I'm a pretty good actress, huh? I figured they'd be sympathetic to a terrified girl who was worried about her boyfriend. I guess it worked," I answered with a chuckle.

"Boyfriend?"

"That's how most people would perceive it. I can't exactly claim to be your sister; we look nothing alike."

"You don't sound upset about Jet being arrested."

"I'm not a saint, Zuko. The fact of the matter is I'm happy he was taken away. I didn't trust him and I didn't like him."

"That doesn't sound like you, Kala," he mumbled. I sighed softly and looked away sadly.

"There are a lot of things you don't know."

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**Hehe. A rift between the two. I'm sure some of you may be wondering "What's Kala going to do when Zuko betrays Iroh?" Well, you'll just have to wait and see. ;p**

**Pleae R&R.**


	29. Chapter 28

**This is another one of my favorite chapters to write, mainly because of the lovely life-lesson I get to give Kala.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or its characters. I only have Kala and my random OCs.**

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After living in Ba Sing Se for only a week, I was beginning to feel a bit more at home. I knew the roads in our area fairly well and the people in our neighborhood were very welcoming to us. I felt a sense of community I hadn't experienced in a long time, and it felt good. It felt familiar.

"I'm going to the market. I'll be back soon," I called over my shoulder as I left the apartment.

"Enjoy your day off," Iroh returned with a grin and began tying his apron on. I chuckled lightly and shut the door behind me, heading towards the market to pick up a few groceries for dinner that evening. The market was lively that day, full of people bustling around with baskets full of fruits and vegetables.

"Get your cabbages, here!" one of the vendors yelled, while another called out for apples.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" a middle-aged man yelled angrily and I turned around to see that an elderly woman had been knocked backwards by a carriage driving too fast. I ran to the woman's side while the middle-aged man ran after the carriage.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" I ask as she began to stand.

"I believe so, dear," she answered and her eyes fell on the produce she'd bought, ruined in the road. "Oh, those were my groceries for the week." I frowned and glanced in the direction the carriage had disappeared in. Unfortunately, there was no sight of it.

"I'll buy them for you."

"I couldn't possibly ask you to do that."

"It's alright," I answered with a smile. "It's no trouble at all." Looking back down at the spoiled food, I wondered if I would actually have enough money for her groceries as well as mine, but I figured if I ran out of money, Iroh and Zuko would understand the situation.

"That's very kind of you, dear. What is your name?"

"I'm Kala."

"Such a pretty name. My name is Hwei-ru, but many call me Granny Hwei."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I answered we began walking through the market together. She used my shoulder to help her stay steady, and I wondered if she was actually in pain from being knocked over by the carriage. Whenever I asked, however, she would simply deny it and insist she was fine.

"Now, Kala, I can't let you pay for all of my groceries," she began. "I don't have much money with me, but I'll use what I have to buy what I can." Once we were done shopping for her, I bought a few items I would need to make dinner and carried all of the groceries back to Granny Hwei's home. She invited me inside and insisted I join her for a cup of afternoon tea.

"Would you like me to help?" I offered as I placed her groceries on the counter in the kitchen.

"Nonsense, Kala. You are my guest. I must say, you are quite a kind young woman. You must have been raised by wonderful parents."

I gave a sad smile and thought of my parents, Bato and Kalila. My father was a fine warrior, and a good friend of Chief Hakoda, Katara and Sokka's father. He was kind, from what I could remember, and would play with me often when I was a child. My mother was beautiful and loving. I could still remember watching her cook, singing a song I could never recall properly, while we waited for Papa to come home. Granny Hwei seemed to notice my silence and called my name again.

"I'm sorry. I was lost in thought," I murmured. Granny Hwei's eyes softened and she rested a thin, wiry hand on my shoulder.

"You have not seen your parents in quite a while, have you?"

"No, ma'am. I haven't."

"Such a terrible burden. You are too young to be on your own," she answered.

"I've been fine. I live with a dear friend and his uncle. We work in a tea shop and are starting a fine life here in Ba Sing Se."

"But I'm sure you miss the Water Tribe." My eyes widened and I wondered how she'd known where I was from so easily. I wore clothes from the Earth Kingdom. "You have beautiful blue eyes that I don't see in Ba Sing Se."

"Thank you," I murmured shyly.

"In those eyes, I can see great sadness that you have been forced to endure. I'm sorry you have had to bear witness to atrocities far beyond your years." Granny Hwei turned back to the stove and lifted the tea pot, pouring a cup for each of us. She shakily took a seat at the small table and I joined her. "Oh, this old knee is giving me problems again."

"Is something wrong?"

"Two years ago, I was in a house-fire at my son's home. My legs were burned quite badly and my knee has been giving me trouble ever since."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It was a simple accident and not under any control of mine. There's no need to dwell on the things we cannot control. If there's one thing I've learned in all my years, it's that," she answered with a gentle smile. I stared down at my tea and thought of her words. I knew to follow the wisdom of my elders, but I didn't think I would be able to easily put the past behind me. With a soft sigh, I took a sip of my tea.

"After all I've been through, I don't know if I can forget what has happened," I murmured.

"It's not about forgetting the bad. It's about remembering the good."

My head snapped up and I realized she was completely correct, and I'd missed it before. People were shaped by their past, but that didn't mean I had dwell on the horrible things I had seen and been through. A smile slowly crept its way across my features as I finished tea with Granny Hwei. As I stood to leave, I bowed slightly to her.

"Thank you, Granny Hwei. You've taught me something very important about my life."

"Thank you, Kala, for being such wonderful company," she answered and gave me a hug before I left.

It was late in the evening by that time and I knew Iroh and Zuko would be worried about me. Zuko would especially have something to say about how I was gone so long, I knew, because he tended to worry more about me with all that had been going on. When I arrived at the apartment with my groceries, I only found Iroh in the main room.

"Where's Zuko?" I asked as I set the groceries on the counter and began putting them away.

"He's gone out with a nice girl from the restaurant," Iroh answered with a smile.

"Oh… I see…" It was silly of me to feel upset at the news. After all, Zuko was my best friend. I should have been happy for him. At the same time, it kind of hurt that he hadn't been wondering where I was, or why I was gone for so long.

"What did you do today, Kala? You were gone all afternoon."

"I met this woman in the market and helped her with her groceries."

"That's very kind of you," Iroh said approvingly. He walked over to his window plants with a pair of scissors and looked out the window. Only a few minutes later, Zuko came in through the front door and walked into the bedroom without a word. He didn't even look at Iroh or me. "How was your night, Prince Zuko?" Zuko slammed the bedroom doors shut behind him and I grimaced. After another moment, he slid the door open a crack.

"It was nice," he whispered and shut the door again.

I stared down at the counter with a sigh and moved to sit at the table, my head in my hands. I couldn't stop thinking about all that had happened, and Granny Hwei's words to me. She was right in saying that I didn't need to dwell on the bad things in my past, but I knew I needed to take it another step further. I needed to look towards my future, my destiny.

"You seem to be very troubled lately, Kala. What is on your mind?" Iroh asked gently as he sat beside me.

"I've been thinking about my destiny, and what it all means… I've had this strange reoccurring dream and I think it has something to do with me being a Half," I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.

"And what has this vision been telling you?"

"That I need to keep moving forward. I have to go to the Eastern Air Temple, but I think I need to go alone. I need to clear my head for a little bit, and I think learning to master the chakras will help me do that."

"There are many who have tried to utilize the chakras and failed. You are taking on quite the endeavor."

"I know, but I think it's something that I'm going to have to accomplish, along with Aang. I promise I'll come back as soon as I've finished, though, so you don't need to follow me like we did with Zuko," I explained. Iroh chuckled softly and placed an arm over my shoulders.

"Do what you must to realize your destiny, Kala. Prince Zuko and I will be waiting here when you return," he answered.

"Thank you." Iroh helped me pack the things I would need for my journey, as well as giving me some money, and I hugged him once more before walking towards the door. Before I turned the handle, I looked back at Iroh. "Will you tell Zuko everything about why I left, and that I'll be back soon?"

"Of course. Before you leave, Kala, I have something for you." Iroh reached into his sleeve and pulled out White Lotus gambit. I tried to tell him he didn't have to give me the tile, but he insisted I take it with me, just in case. After pocketing the tile, I left the apartment and made my way to the train station. I would need to hurry if I wanted to get to the Eastern Air Temple before spring's end.

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**A thank-you goes out to DragonofTwilight (I might start calling you DoT if you don't stop me... speak now or forever hold your peace) for helping me decide what to do with Kala for her Tale of Ba Sing Se. She suggested she meet a little old lady and learn to take a different look on something. I went for a life-lesson and I like how it turned out. So, thanks DoT. ;)**

**Please R&R.**


	30. Chapter 29

**This chapter is grotequely long compared to some of my others... but I like having a longer chapter for once. lol. It's ten pages, which is pretty long compared to my other works, but REALLY short compared to other people... Eh, whatever it takes to get the story, I guess. lol.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and my random OCs.**

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I'd been traveling on my own for days, passing through rough terrain on my way to the Eastern Air Temple. I was still being visited by the odd dreams with the old guru, and they'd even begun to tell me where I could find the temple. Now, it was just a matter of _getting_ there. That was what I was most worried about. I'd heard rumors that the Air Temples were designed so that people couldn't get to them without the use of Flying Bison. Of course, the Fire Nation had not only managed to get up there, but also to destroy the entire civilization of the Air Nomads. I just didn't know _how_ they had been able to get up the mountains.

I sighed heavily as I continued walking along the old dirt road that led east from Ba Sing Se. I rarely saw people on my path and sometimes wondered if I would even come across any towns. It seemed so desolate in the countryside. On my third day of traveling, I heard an odd sound coming from behind me; it almost sounded like an animal. When I turned around, I could see Aang's giant Flying Bison landing beside me with a _thud_ and I could only stare in shock.

"Aang?" I yelled in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you going to see the guru to unlock your chakras?" Aang asked, completely ignoring my question.

"Yeah, but-"

"Hop on."

"Wait, how did you find me?"

"I got a letter from Guru Pathik. It told me to go to the Eastern Air Temple, and that you would be heading there too. I figured I'd see you along the way, so I was flying low on Appa."

"Thank you for stopping, then," I said with a smile as I climbed onto the Flying Bison.

He didn't have a saddle so I sat beside Aang on Appa's head and held onto the bison's fur. We took off and I realized just how much faster it was to fly than to walk. I held on tightly to Appa as the wind rushed past me, but I was exhilarated. Never before had I experienced flight, and it was truly amazing. As the sun was setting, we arrived at the Eastern Air Temple and found the old man I'd been dreaming of sitting in the lotus position atop a plateau. I could only assume _he_ was Guru Pathik, whom Aang had spoken of.

"Um… hello?" Aang called up to the old man. He helped me off of Appa and we walked up to the plateau where the man was still sitting.

"Are you Guru Pathik?" I asked. "The person I've been seeing in those weird dreams of mine?"

"Indeed," the old man answered, never opening his eyes. "I was a spiritual brother of the Air Nomads, and a personal friend of Monk Gyatso." I looked to Aang and he smiled.

"Gyatso was my mentor," he explained for me. "In your note, you said you could teach us to control the True Avatar State."

"The what?" I asked. "Is that what happened when you used Waterbending and I was weakened from it?"

"No," Guru Pathik answered. "That is the Partial Avatar State. It is what one of you will experience in a time where you are in need of the other's strength. The True Avatar State allows you both to use all four elements, without weakening the other. This is difficult to unlock, but you must if you wish to restore balance to the world."

"So, how can you teach us?" Aang asked.

"You both must gain balance within yourselves, before you can bring balance to the world. And the first step to gaining balance begins with this. Drink up." Pathik pulled two bowls of some kind of juice from behind his back and held them out to us. We took them and drank from them, only to spit it back out.

"It tastes like onion and banana juice!"

"That's because it _is_." Pathik drank his own. "Yum, yum." Night fell and Guru Pathik took Aang and me down to a pond system filled with sludge and moss. It was hidden in a waterfall behind a cave.

"Wow, who would've guessed this is behind here," I murmured.

"In order to master the True Avatar State, you must open all the chakras. Aang, Kala, tell me everything you know about chakras."

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know anything about them."

"What're chakras?" Aang asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Oh, I see," Pathik muttered, sounding disappointed in us. "I guess we'll start with the basics. The water flows through this creek, much like the energy flows through your bodies. As you see, there are several pools where the water swirls around before flowing on. These pools are like our chakras."

"So, chakras are pools of spiraling energy in our bodies?"

"Exactly. If nothing else were around, this creek would flow pure and clear. However, life is messy and things tend to fall in the creek. And then what happens?"

"The water doesn't flow," I answered, staring down at the murky water.

"Yes. But, if we open the paths between the pools," he prompted, removing some of the muck from one of the crevices where water would flow.

"The water flows!" Aang and I exclaimed in unison. Once the muck was gone, the creek quickly began to clear itself and the water looked almost fit to drink. Pathik led us deeper into the cave to begin our first lesson, with the first of the chakras.

"There are seven chakras throughout the body," he began. "Each pool of energy has a purpose and can be blocked by a specific kind of emotional muck. Be warned, opening the chakras is an intense experience, and once you begin this process, you cannot stop until all seven are open. Are you both ready?"

"I'll do whatever it takes," Aang answered firmly and I nodded in agreement.

"First, we will open the Earth Chakra, located at the base of the spine. It deals with survival, and is blocked by fear. What are you most afraid of? Let your fears become clear to you." I closed my eyes and could see images of myself being taken from the Southern Water Tribe, of Zuko being hurt, of Azula attacking Iroh back in that deserted town. I was afraid of losing those whom I cared about. "Aang, Kala, your visions are not real. You are concerned for your survival, but you must surrender those fears. Let your fears flow down the creek."

I still trembled as one by one, the images before me faded away. Once the final image was gone, my eyes snapped open and I found myself breathing heavily, while Aang hardly looked phased by the experience. How was he still sitting so perfectly still?

"What was that," I whispered.

"You have both opened your Earth Chakras," Pathik answered. Aang wiped a bit of sweat from his brow, but didn't seem affected otherwise. I was only just beginning to catch my breath.

"Why was that so much more difficult for me?"

"Perhaps you are having difficulty reaching the Spiritual Plane. How long have you been without your animal guide?"

"Animal guide? What's that?"

"Every Half has had an animal guide, that helps him or her through the Spirit World. Without it, a Half cannot communicate with animal spirits, and has difficulty connecting with oneself."

"I've never had an animal guide. I've never been close to any animals in particular."

"Think back to your childhood. There was one that you must have been close to," Aang suggested.

"Well, there was Kitto," I murmured. "He was my pet leopard-seal, but he was killed when I was taken by the Fire Nation. That was ten years ago."

"It would appear you will have much more difficulty opening your chakras, no longer having your animal guide as an aide," Pathik explained. "Come, we must continue opening the chakras." He led us to another waterfall and we sat on a ledge just behind the spray. "Next is the-"

"Water Chakra?" Aang asked.

"Brilliant! Maybe one day you will be a guru too. This chakra deals with pleasure, and is blocked by guilt. Now, look at all the guilt which burdens you so. What do you blame yourself for?"

I thought back to the Northern Water Tribe and what had happened with Yue. I'd been unable to save her, and unable to keep our promise to travel the world. I'd killed so many people, the members of Zuko's crew. Then I saw an image of Zuko in his worst of times, when he'd been so angry, that I feared for him. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't.

"I couldn't save them," I whispered. I was then brought back to Granny Hwei's words. _There's no need to dwell on the things we cannot control._ This chakra opened much easier for me this time, though I was still left sweating. I opened my eyes as the energy flowed through me and looked over at Aang. Pathik was still helping him.

"Accept the fact that these things happen," he said, "but do not let them cloud and poison your energy. If you are to be a positive influence on the world, you need to forgive yourself." Aang took a deep breath and Guru Pathik smiled, signifying that he had opened the Water Chakra.

As the sun began to rise, Guru Pathik brought us to the side of the mountain facing east, so the sun's rays would be directly upon us as we opened the next chakra. Judging by the timing and our position, I guessed the third chakra would be one of Fire.

"This is a beautiful view," Aang whispered to me as we sat down in the lotus position.

"Third is the Fire Chakra, located in the stomach."

"My Fire Chakra would like to eat something other than onion-banana juice." I chuckled at Aang's remark, but couldn't help but agree with him.

"Good one," Pathik said with a laugh. "Moving on. This chakra deals with willpower and is blocked by shame. What are you ashamed of? What are your biggest disappointments in yourself?"

I was brought back to events of the North Pole. Rather than feel guilty over what had happened, I was now ashamed of losing control over myself. I knew what my powers could be capable of, and I knew that I could never lose control again. That was why I'd so painstakingly gone to the trouble of learning the basics of Firebending.

"I'm never going to lose control like that again," I muttered. Sweat began forming at the base of my neck and my head started pounding. I vaguely heard Aang say something about having too much power and almost wondered what he'd experienced.

"You will never find balance if you deny this part of your life. You two create what is known as the Avatar. As such, you are both very powerful."

Aang opened the chakra easily after that, earning some kind of remark from Guru Pathik, but I was still struggling. My body trembled as the images from the Northern Water Tribe flooded my mind's eye. I felt myself start to cry and a hand was placed on my shoulder, lending me strength. After a few minutes, the images began to fade and the chakra was opened. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that Aang's hand was the one that rested on my shoulder. He had been the one to help through my struggle.

"Thank you."

"You struggled greatly with that chakra, Kala. You must have held a great deal of shame from your experience."

"Yeah," I murmured. Aang and I were then led up to a higher part of the mountain, in what looked like the ruins of part of the temple. There were a few statues of Air Nomads placed around us.

"The fourth chakra is located in the heart. It deals with love, and is blocked by grief. Lay all your grief out in front of you."

My mind was immediately brought to my kidnapping. I'd been taken away from my family and my friends. Yue had given her life to save the Northern Water Tribe and the balance between the moon and the sea. It saddened me to know such loss. I then thought of Zuko and his scar. He'd been pushed into a life no one deserved, because his father was a cruel tyrant. Tears began flowing down my cheeks from behind my closed eyelids.

"You have both indeed felt great losses," Guru Pathik said and I knew Aang's must have dealt with the genocide of the Air Nomads. "But love is a form of energy, and it swirls all around us. The Air Nomads and the Water Tribe's love for you two has not left this world. It is still inside of your hearts, and is reborn in the form of new love." I saw an image of Zuko when he protected me from Zhao's fire blast so long ago, and of Iroh when he told me he supported me in my search to find my destiny. "Let the pain flow away."

"It's stupid," I muttered, unable to accept what I felt.

"What could possibly be stupid about love?"

"He's a prince. I was his servant. Besides, he doesn't care." I thought about my last night in Ba Sing Se, and how Zuko wouldn't look at me, how he hadn't seemed to care that I'd been out far longer than I'd expected to be.

"He has protected you, has he not? That is proof that your prince cares for you. Love comes in many forms, and is expressed in many ways. Release your pain, and accept the love that surrounds you." _It's not about forgetting the bad. It's about remembering the good_, Granny Hwei repeated in my head. I finally let the good memories of my time with Zuko and Iroh surround me, and the chakra was slowly opened. I started taking gasping breaths and leaned forward with my arms supporting my upper body.

"Are you alright, Kala?" Aang asked in a worried tone. I took a few more heavy breaths before nodding.

"I will be," I answered, wiping the tears from my eyes and the sweat from my brow.

Guru Pathik then brought us to the highest point in the Eastern Air Temple, where he said we would be unlocking the last three chakras. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could handle. I was feeling physical pain from the struggle, and it only grew worse with each chakra that needed to be unlocked.

"The fifth in the chain is the Sound Chakra, located in the throat." Pathik explained. "It deals with truth and is blocked by lies, the ones we tell ourselves."

I couldn't think of a lie I'd told myself. I'd been happy with the life I lived, and honored to be what I was. But then, why was I struck by visions of my time in the Fire Nation? I could see myself in the courtyard with Prince Zuko, twirling around and teaching him to dance. I then saw the whipping I'd received as punishment for my actions. What was going on? Why was I seeing these images? Yes, it was terrible that I'd been punished as I was, but that was merely the life of a servant. It was nothing new. I was happy!

"Because I never wanted to be," Aang mumbled, likely responding to his vision.

"You cannot lie about your own nature, Aang. You must accept that you _are_ Half the Avatar. Kala, you cannot deny yourself the struggles you have been through. You cannot _lie_ about your years in the Fire Nation palace. You must accept that you have built walls to protect your mind, and let them fall."

I shook my head, felt my throat clench and it was suddenly more difficult to breathe. My breaths quickened as I tried to get more air and I saw more images of my time as a servant. I saw my fear of Fire Lord Ozai when I'd angered him. I saw my joy when Zuko showed me the Firebending moves he'd mastered. I knew I'd been happy as Zuko's servant. There were no lies! So why was my body reacting in this way? Aang's hand once again rested on me and the air was carefully pushed and pulled into my lungs without conscious thought on my part. My eyes snapped open and I realized Aang had been helping me breathe.

"Why?" I whispered hoarsely, looking to Guru Pathik. He shook his head slowly and gave me a worried expression.

"You were unable to unlock this chakra."

"That's because it's not a lie! I was happy! I accepted my punishments because _I_ was the one who had done something wrong!" Guru Pathik shook his head again.

"You must continue to meditate on this matter. Aang, are you ready to continue?"

"Yes," he answered quietly, obviously concerned about me.

"The sixth pool of energy is the Light Chakra, located in the center of the forehead. It deals with insight, and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same."

"Like the four nations," Aang suggested.

"Yes. We are all one people, but we live as if divided."

"We're all connected. Everything is connected."

"That's right," Pathik answered, sounding pleased with us. "Even the separation of the four elements is an illusion. If you open your minds, you will see that all the elements are one. Four parts of the same whole, just as you are two halves of the same whole to make the Avatar. Even metal is just a part of earth that has been purified and refined." Aang opened the chakra with ease and Guru Pathik was ready to move on. He still looked at me, in hopes that I had changed my mind. No such thing had occurred and I stared back with my arms crossed.

"This is the last chakra, isn't it?" Aang asked.

"Yes. Once you each open this chakra, you will be able to go in and out of the True Avatar State at will. And when you are in the True Avatar State, you will have complete control and awareness of all your actions."

"Let's do this."

"The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment. Meditate on what attaches you to this world. Now, let all of those attachments go. Let them flow down the river, forgotten." Aang's eyes snapped open in shock.

"What?" Aang demanded. "Why would I let go of Katara? I-I love her!"

"Learn to let her go, or you cannot let the pure cosmic energy flow in from the universe."

"Why would I choose cosmic energy over Katara?" Aang asked, his tone beginning to take on a harsher sound. "How could it be a bad thing that I feel an attachment to her? Three chakras ago, that was a _good_ thing!"

"You must learn to let go."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let go of Katara."

"Aang, Kala, to master the True Avatar State, you must open _all_ the chakras. Surrender yourselves." I knew he was speaking to me about seeing the 'truth' that I was supposedly overlooking, but he didn't understand. Just because I'd been Prince Zuko's servant as a child didn't mean I wasn't happy.

"Okay. I'll try," Aang answered quietly. Guru Pathik turned to Aang, talking him through the unlocking of the final chakra. After a few minutes, Aang suddenly snapped out of his meditative trance. "Katara's in danger! I have to go!" He stood and started running off and I quickly followed suit.

"I'm coming with you," I called after him.

"No! By choosing attachment and your lies, you have locked the chakras!" Pathik warned us. "If you leave now, neither of you will be able to go into the True Avatar State at all!"

"Then we'll do without!" I grabbed onto Aang as he leapt down the mountain and returned to Appa. Within minutes, we were flying again. "Where are we heading?"

"To Ba Sing Se," Aang answered, his eyes never leaving the horizon. My eyes, on the other hand, widened in shock.

"You were in Ba Sing Se too?"

"Yeah, but we need to pick up my friends first."

I nodded in understanding and we flew the rest of the way in silence as the night grew darker. After a couple hours, we landed on a beach where I could see some Water Tribe ships. Sokka was about to step onto one of them with his father, Hakoda. One look from Aang, as well as seeing me with him, and Sokka knew there was something wrong.

"This can't be good news," he murmured. Sokka quickly got on Appa with us and we flew off, back towards Ba Sing Se. As we flew, he turned to me with a criticizing gaze. "What are you doing here?"

"Aang and I received the same message to go to the Eastern Air Temple. I know Katara's in trouble, and I want to help in any way I can," I whispered. Turning back to the horizon, I sighed heavily. I could only hope Zuko and Iroh were okay and could wait a little longer for me to return after saving Katara.

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**And there it is. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please R&R**


	31. Chapter 30

**Eight pages! Whoot! Yeah, I'm a little excited. Let me tell you, though. Writing chapter 36 was beastly! It's almost thirteen and a half pages long... It was "The Runaway", if that helps. I'm pumped to write the following chapter, though, because it's got the Bloodbending. Some nice rifts to be formed. ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter, though.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters.**

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Day broke before we arrived in Ba Sing Se, and we were still flying by mid-morning. I was beginning to grow more and more concerned for Katara's safety, wondering if she would be able to hold out long enough for us to reach her. I prayed she would.

"So, what kind of trouble is Katara in?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know," Aang answered. "In my vision, I just knew she needed help."

"It'd be nice if your Half Avatar powers could be just a little more specific from time to time."

"You and me both," I muttered. I was tired of having only vague ideas of what I was meant to be doing. Aang knew so much more than me, because he'd been able to start his training when he was still in the Air Temple. I'd only found out about my destiny in the winter.

"What is _that_?" Sokka yelled, pointed to a moving dirt-cloud on the ground below us. Aang quickly flew Appa forward to catch up and we found the Earthbender girl I'd met with Iroh when Zuko had been traveling alone. "Need a ride?" The girl stumbled over the earth she was bending and fell with a large crash. Sokka, Aang and I grimaced at the sight.

"Is she okay?" I asked as Aang landed Appa for us to help the girl.

"She'll be fine. She's tough."

"Hey, I remember you," the girl said, pointing a finger at me.

"You've met?" Aang asked me.

"Yeah. It was just before we faced Azula in that deserted town."

"Toph, you never told us you met up with Kala. She's the other Half."

"That's because we never exchanged names," she answered, punching Aang's shoulder before climbing onto Appa with us. She held onto Sokka's arm as Appa began flying again. "Where's the old guy you were traveling with?"

"He's in Ba Sing Se," I answered with a smile. I plan to go back after we help Katara. She's in trouble." Toph nodded and we flew in silence again for a while. As we neared the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, I could feel myself growing more anxious to land.

"So, how'd it go with the guru?" Toph asked, speaking to both Aang and me. "Did you master the True Avatar State?" Aang hesitated and I looked away from the girl. Guru Pathik had warned us that we wouldn't be able to go into the True Avatar State at all, because we hadn't completed the unlocking of the chakras.

"Aang, Kala, are you okay?" Sokka asked.

"Just fine," I answered, putting on a smile. "I'll be better when we get Katara back."

"I'm great," Aang added. "It went great with the guru. I completely mastered the True Avatar State."

I glanced at him with a frown, unhappy that he was lying to his friends about what had happened, but I didn't say anything. It was his decision, and they would likely find out about it sooner or later. We landed just outside of the Earth King's palace in Ba Sing Se and I almost wanted to stop to take in the grandeur of it all. It was more over-the-top than the Fire Nation palace. The four of us were brought straight to the king and I found that Aang, Sokka and Toph spoke easily with him, as though they were personal friends. They told him about Aang's vision, but he didn't seem as worried as we were.

"Katara's fine. You have nothing to worry about," he said easily.

"But, in my vision, I felt so sure that she was in trouble," Aang answered, taking a few steps forward. I could tell from his tone that he was beginning to doubt himself.

"Well, she met with the council of generals to plan the invasion. And since then, she's been off with your friends, the Kiyoshi warriors."

"See, Aang, she's with Suki. They're probably back at our apartment right now, talking about make-up or something," Sokka added easily.

"Okay, maybe you're right," Aang conceded.

"Believe me, if there was any danger at all, Bosco's animal instincts would sense it," the Earth King said calmly.

The bear beside the Earth King lifted its head lazily, as if to prove a point that there was no danger. I frowned slightly and looked over at Aang. Was he just overreacting? If that was the case, then I would have him bring me back to the apartment I shared with Zuko and Iroh after we found Katara. Sokka, Toph, Aang and I left the Earth King's palace and took Appa back to the apartment they'd been living in while inside the walls of Ba Sing Se. They had been living in the Upper Ring, in a nice house with fine luxuries. Upon opening the doors of the house, we found nobody inside but a Winged-Lemur that Aang called 'Momo' as it ran up to him.

"There's no one else here," Toph stated.

"Katara _is_ in trouble. I knew it!" Aang exclaimed.

"Wait. Someone's at the door." Three knocks came to the door and those with eyesight looked at it suspiciously. "Actually, I know who it is. It's an old friend of mine, and Kala's." Toph opened the door to reveal Iroh standing there, dressed in finer clothes than I'd last seen him in. A grin broke across my face and I ran to hug him.

"Iroh!" I exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here?"

"I need help from both Halves of the Avatar," he answered seriously and I frowned, pulling away. Aang and Sokka both screamed, while Toph smiled and waved her hand to invite him inside.

"Toph, you met _him _too?" Aang asked in shock, pointing an accusing finger at Iroh. I was getting tired of being pointed at like we were bad people.

"I met him when I met Kala. We met it the woods and I knocked them down. Then they gave me tea and some very good advice," Toph answered.

"May I come in?" Iroh asked and Toph nodded. I stepped out of the way so he could enter the house.

"Iroh, what's happened in the week I've been gone? Where is Zuko?"

"Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se."

"What?"

"She must have Katara!" Aang implied and Iroh nodded.

"She has captured my nephew as well," Iroh answered and I covered my mouth with a gasp.

"Then we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko."

"Whoa, there. You lost me at 'Zuko'," Sokka yelled.

"I know how you must feel about my nephew," Iroh began, "but believe me when I tell you there is good inside him."

"Good inside him isn't enough! Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?"

"Sokka, please," I pleaded. "Zuko is important to me. I have to save him, and we need help from all of you."

"Katara's in trouble," Aang added. "All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance." Sokka sighed after a moment and nodded his head in defeat.

"I brought someone along who might be able to help us," Iroh said as he began walking outside.

I cocked a curious eyebrow at him while we followed him onto the front porch. There, we saw a member of the group that had taken Jet away when he'd attacked us. He was tied up and Toph used her Earthbending to force him into a standing position with his arms locked in front of him. Iroh pulled the gag off the man's mouth and he started talking.

"Azula and Long Feng are planning a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King," he said quickly.

"My sister. Where are they keeping Katara?" Sokka demanded, pointing a Water Tribe blade at the man's face.

"In the crystal catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace." We all ran off, leaving the man behind, to go back to the Earth King's palace in search of Katara and Zuko. We landed in the courtyard of the palace and Toph knelt down to feel what was beneath the top layer.

"Well, what d'ya know?" she said. "There _is_ an ancient city down there, but it's deep." She used her Earthbending to start where the path down would go, at an angle.

"We should split up," Sokka suggested. "Aang, you and Kala go with Iroh to look for Katara and the angry jerk. No offence." He added that last part for Iroh and me.

"None taken," Iroh answered with a shrug and I did the same. I knew it was no use trying to change Sokka's opinion on Zuko, and I was just thankful he was helping me get him back.

"And I'll go with Toph to warn the Earth King about Azula's coup."

"Sounds like a plan. Aang, you _can_ Earthbend, right?" I asked.

"Yeah. Let's go." He, Iroh and I stood where Toph had created the entrance. Aang began Earthbending, pushing the ground out of our way to create a tunnel that slowly moved forward as we were walking. Iroh held a flame in his hand for light. We moved in silence for much of the way down, but it wasn't much longer before Aang started talking.

"So," he began, "Toph thinks you give pretty good advice, and great tea."

"Iroh does," I answered with a smile. "He's helped me a lot."

"The key to both is proper aging. What's on your mind?" Iroh asked the younger boy.

"Well, we met with this guru who was supposed to help us master the True Avatar State, and control this great power. But to do it, I had to let go of someone I love," Aang explained.

"And I didn't even make it that far," I finished sadly.

"Perfection and power are overrated," Iroh answered. "I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love. Kala, what held you back?"

"I'd rather not." Iroh nodded slowly, understanding that any hesitation I gave when speaking to him was serious.

"What happens if we can't save everyone and beat Azula?" Aang asked. "Without the True Avatar State, what if we're not powerful enough?"

"I don't know the answer. Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving…" Aang pushed the last part of the tunnel forward and we entered a cavern full of beautiful glowing crystals. "… you will come to a better place."

"I told you Iroh was good," I said with a smile as we looked around at the giant crystals. "Now let's go find Katara, and hopefully Zuko." Aang used his Earthbending on one of the nearest walls and punched a hole through it, seemingly with ease. I was a bit jealous of how far he had come, compared to my meager ability with Fire. That was pushed aside when we found two people in the part of the catacombs that we had come to.

"Aang!" Katara yelled excitedly and ran to hug the younger Half.

"Zuko, you're alright!" I exclaimed as Iroh and I both ran to hug him. I had tears in my eyes. Zuko didn't move and only glared at Aang, who was glaring right back. When we pulled back, Iroh and I were standing by Zuko, while Katara was across from us with Aang.

"Uncle, Kala, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Airbender?" Zuko demanded.

"Saving you, that's what," Aang answered harshly. Zuko started to lunge forward, but Iroh and I held him back.

"Zuko, it's time we talked," Iroh said sternly and then turned to Aang and Katara. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you." Aang bowed and ran with Katara through the tunnel that he'd made.

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger, and wiser, and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to really choose. It's time for you to choose good." At that moment, the crystals came up and Iroh and me. I struggled against my prism prison, but was unable to make it budge. Azula and two members of the Earthbending force came down through another tunnel.

"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle and even your little servant. But Zuko, Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor. Are you?" the Fire Nation princess asked.

"Release them immediately!" Zuko yelled.

"It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."

"It's not worth this!" I yelled.

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," Iroh added.

"Why don't you let _him_ decide?" Azula snapped in return. "I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."

"Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."

"You are free to choose." Azula waved her bodyguards away and we were left alone in the cavern. She then walked off to pursue Aang and Katara. I struggled against the crystals around me again, trying to pull my arms free.

"Zuko, your father has destroyed countless lives. He _banished_ you! Is that the person whose love you want?" I demanded, pleading with him. After a moment, Zuko scowled and ran after Azula. There was more silence as I worked to free myself again. I could hear screams from the next cave segment and Iroh sighed heavily.

"Prince Zuko has chosen to follow the path of his sister," he murmured sadly.

I closed my eyes with tears falling from them. The sounds of battle echoed through the catacombs and I knew I had to help Aang and Katara escape. I would have to leave with them, knowing now that Zuko would not stop until the Avatar was gone. I cried out and suddenly felt a great wave of power rush through my body. Conscious thought left me and my body began to move of its own accord. I'd somehow tapped into an Avatar State, but I didn't think it was the True Avatar State. I had the feeling of blacking out again, only seeing brief images of battle around me whenever I'd come close to regaining control. One of those images had been of Aang being struck by lightning from Azula.

I screamed out in anger and raised a wall of water to knock many of the Earthbenders following Azula down while Katara used a wave of her own to bring her to Aang in time to catch him. Zuko and Azula began approaching the two of them, but Iroh unleashed a blast of fire to distract them. I flew to Katara's side and raised a raging wall of fire to keep us separated from the others.

"You've got to get out of here!" Iroh yelled over the roaring flames. "I'll hold them off as long as I can! Kala, go with Aang and Katara!"

His voice sounded distant but I was sure my body followed the order. I finally regained control of my body and fell out of Partial Avatar State I'd been in. I felt an ache in my heart as we met up with Sokka, Toph, the Earth King and his bear. We rode Appa out of the city, and I let myself cry over losing Zuko and leaving Iroh behind. I watched through teary eyes as Katara pulled a small vial of water from around her neck and used it to heal the lightning-scar on Aang's back. Amazingly, Aang opened his eyes and I was relieved to see that he was still alive. Katara hugged him tightly as tears fell from her eyes.

"How did you do that?" I asked in a broken whisper.

"That was water from the spirit oasis in the Northern Water Tribe," Katara answered softly.

"We were there not long after you left, according to Chief Arnook," Sokka elaborated. I nodded slowly and rested my head on my arms where I lay on Appa's back. Slowly, my eyes drifted shut and I fell asleep from pure exhaustion. The last words I hear were from the Earth King.

"The Earth Kingdom has fallen."

* * *

**Yeah, Kala tapped into the Partial Avatar State, as it's called here. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but that's how it'll be referred to from here on out (it's in the narration/dialogue of the next chapter). Well, this chapter was quite fun to write. I hope you enjoyed. Please R&R.**


	32. Chapter 31

**I'm alive! Yes, I've FINALLY been able to watch another episode so I could update this story... about time, I know. But, it's all good. lol. So, this is the start of Book Three: Fire in the series. And, now that Kala is going to be away from Zuko for a while, you guys are going to get to see more and more of the way she is when not in "I'm a humble servant" mode. ... And there's some Stockholm Syndrome-esque parts in the early stages of this. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and my random OCs that are thrown into the mix.**

* * *

When I finally woke up, I found myself in a bed, surrounded by banners from the Fire Nation. I blinked a few times to be sure my eyes weren't fooling me, and then sat up straight in my bed. Where was I? Had we been captured while escaping from Ba Sing Se? No, that couldn't be right, I reasoned. I wouldn't have slept through an attack. But then, now long _had_ I been sleeping? The gentle rocking of the bed beneath me was familiar and I realized I was on a ship. But why on earth was I on a Fire Nation ship? A gentle knock came to my door, though it sounded almost menacing through the metal.

"Who's there?" I demanded and I noticed my voice sounded scratchy, like I hadn't spoken in days. I couldn't have possibly been asleep that long, could I? The door opened a bit and I saw the face of Chief Hakoda. My eyes widened and I grinned upon seeing him.

"I see you're doing well, Kala," he said with a gentle smile.

"Chief Hakoda? What are _you_ doing here? Why are we on a Fire Nation ship? Where are the others? Is Aang alright?" Hakoda chuckled and entered the room with a bowl in his hand. He sat on the edge of my bed and handed me the bowl before he spoke.

"You still have the bluest eyes in the Southern Water Tribe. You haven't changed much. Still asking so many questions." I blushed lightly and looked down into the bowl of soup he'd given me. "You've been asleep for three days, according to Sokka and Katara. Yes, they're fine and they're up on deck as we speak. The Airbender hasn't woken up yet, and hasn't shown signs of waking, either."

"That's terrible!"

"He's recovering from his wounds. I don't know if you remember, but he was struck by lightning." I briefly thought of the images I'd been able to see while in that Partial Avatar State. I nodded slowly. I hated not being able to have control over my body. I then thought of Zuko's betrayal and I felt an ache in my chest. Tears stung my eyes and I quickly swiped them away. I couldn't cry in front of Chief Hakoda. It would be inappropriate. Still, I couldn't shake the horrible feeling I had when I thought of Zuko, how he'd chosen to join Azula. I rested my head in my hands with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, I remember… How did you find us?"

"Actually, Sokka found us. The Earth King has decided to travel with his bear, and we've been traveling on this Fire Nation ship for a few days." Hakoda then smiled at me. "If you're feeling up to it, there's someone here who wants to see you."

"Is it…" I began to ask and Hakoda nodded. Tears began stinging my eyes once more. "Can I see him now?" I set the bowl of soup, still untouched, on the table beside my bed and moved to stand. My knees started to give out beneath me and Hakoda caught me before I could hit the metal floor.

"Be careful. I don't think Bato wants you hurt," he said with a chuckle and helped me walk up to the deck of the ship we were on. There were Water Tribe men dressed in Fire Nation uniforms, but a few of them had the helmets off their heads.

"Hey, she's awake!" one of the men called with a grin. There was a man about ten feet in front of me with his back turned and a helmet on his head. He slowly turned around and I watched with wide, tear-filled eyes as he removed the helmet.

"Papa," I whispered and ran away from Chief Hakoda to my father. I threw my arms around him and cried into his chest as his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"I'm so happy you're alright," he murmured as he held me tighter.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Kala." He pulled away slightly and took a good look at me. "You look just like your mother."

"How is she?" I asked hopefully. My father's eyes softened and he knelt in front of me in order to look into my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kala," he whispered and I covered my mouth. She was… _gone_? "Kalila passed away a little over a year after you were taken." I held onto my father again and cried into his chest. I was happy to have finally found him, but devastated to hear the news of my mother.

* * *

A few weeks later, I was on the deck with my father and Hakoda at night. Katara and Toph were standing by the edge of the ship, feeling the breeze go by. Hakoda was petting Momo when Aang suddenly ran up from below deck and toppled onto the floor. He now had a full head of hair and looked as confused as I'd felt upon waking up on the Fire Nation ship. I stared at him with wide eyes and knelt beside him, helping him sit up.

"I'm glad you're awake," I said gently, while he continued to look on in confusion.

"Twinkletoes!" Toph exclaimed. "That's gotta be you!" She and Katara ran forward to see Aang.

"Aang, you're awake!" Katara yelled happily.

"Are you sure?" he asked groggily. "I feel like I'm dreaming." I stepped back as Katara threw her arms around the boy. I couldn't help but smile sadly at the sight of them.

"You're not dreaming. You're finally awake." Sokka stepped forward, completely clad in a Fire Nation uniform and hugged the Airbender as well.

"Aang, good to see you back with the living, buddy," he called through the faceplate in the armor.

"Sokka?" Aang asked, unsure he was hearing properly. His eyes started to shut and he wobbled where he stood.

"Uh-oh!" Toph yelled. "Somebody catch him, he's gonna-" I grabbed Aang before he could hit the deck in his fainting spell and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's try this again when he wakes up," I suggested. "This time, without scaring him." After about a half hour, Aang finally woke up again. He seemed much calmer now, for which I was thankful.

"So, why are we on a Fire Nation ship?" he asked. "Why is everyone dressed this way? And why am _I_ the only one who's completely out of it?"

"You weren't the only one," I answered. "I was too."

"You need to take it easy, okay?" Katara suggested. "You got hurt pretty bad." Aang looked upset and felt the bandages wrapped around his chest. "I like your hair."

"I have hair?" Aang asked in shock, feeling to top of his head. "How long was I out?"

"A few weeks." Hakoda approached us and I smiled up at him.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"We're fine, Dad," Katara answered, her tone changing so sound slightly harsher.

"I'm Hakoda, Katara and Sokka's father." He extended a hand to Aang in greeting, but Katara stopped him.

"He knows who you are. I just called you 'Dad', didn't I?"

"I guess you're right," Hakoda answered with a slightly disappointed tone. I frowned at Katara and wondered how she could be angry with her father. From what I could tell, she hadn't seen him in quite a while, yet she acted like she wanted nothing to do with him. It was a stark comparison to the reaction I had had when I saw _my_ father.

"Nice to officially meet you, Chief Hakoda," Aang said, extending his hand to the older man.

"It's an honor to meet you."

"Great, now you guys have finally met, so would you mind giving us a little privacy?" Katara asked rudely of her father. Hakoda walked away slowly and I gave Katara a harsh stare. Aang looked more confused than upset.

"Are you mad at your dad or something?" he asked.

"What? Not at all. Why would you say that?"

"Maybe because of your harsh tone," I suggested offhandedly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Forget it." Aang shrugged in a peace-keeping motion, and cringed when he was hit with pain from the motion.

"Maybe we should go upstairs," Katara suggested gently. "You need a healing session." The two of them left so Katara could use her healing powers on Aang, while I remained on the deck. I had to admit, I was envious of Katara's healing abilities. Only a select few Waterbenders were born with that gift. While I'd been born Half the Avatar, I had not been given the gift of healing. Katara was fortunate.

* * *

The next day, we were gathered around Sokka while he continued to explain to Aang all that had happened while he was still unconscious. Sokka was seated on a crate while a few of the others were standing. I was a little farther back from Aang and his friends, feeling like an outcast among them. I knew I was merely being tolerated because I was meant to join Aang to restore balance to the world.

"After what happened in Ba Sing Se, we had to get you to safety, along with Kala. We flew back to Chameleon Bay, where we found my father and the other Water Tribe men. The Earth King decided he wanted to travel the world in disguise, so he set off alone… well, not completely alone. Bosco went with him," Sokka explained. "Soon, the bay was overrun with Fire Nation ships. Rather than fight them all, we captured a single ship and made it our disguise. Since then, we've been traveling west. We crossed through the Serpent's Pass a few days ago. We've seen a few Fire Nation ships, but none have bothered us."

"So, what now?" Aang asked.

"We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan," Hakoda answered.

"It's Sokka's invasion plan," Katara corrected harshly. I scowled at her and stepped around the group so I could stand beside my father, resting my head against his shoulder.

"Yes, Sokka's plan. We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable." I'd been told earlier about the invasion that was to take place on The Day of Black Sun. It was a sound plan, though I was worried about if I would be able to fight Zuko. With any luck, I wouldn't have to face _him_.

"So we're planning a smaller invasion," Sokka continued. "Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. We already ran into The Duke and Pipsqueak." He motioned to two people who greeted Aang with smiles as they ate their noodles. "And the best part is: the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage. We have a secret."

"What is it?" I asked. This was news to me.

"Aang."

"Me?" the younger Half asked.

"Yep, the whole world thinks you're dead. Isn't that great?"

"Well, that sounds a bit harsh, don't you think?" I suggested drolly. Aang stood and walked over to the edge of the ship.

"The whole world thinks I'm _dead_?" he repeated in shock. "How is that good news? That's terrible!"

"No, it's great!" Sokka answered. "It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore. Even though Kala's with us, the Fire Lord knows that a Half is useless without the other one. And even better, they won't be expecting both of you on the Day of Black Sun."

"No, no, no, no, no. You have _no_ _idea_. This is so messed up!" A horn sounded and we turned to see another Fire Nation ship approaching. "I'll handle this. This Half is back."

"No! Don't, Aang," I yelled and ran to stop him from trying to fly.

"Remember, they don't know we're not Fire Nation," Katara added. Aang closed his glider.

"Everyone just stay calm," Hakoda urged. "Bato and I will take care of this." Aang, Toph, Katara and I hid just below deck to watch how my father and Chief Hakoda handled the Fire Nation troops.

"I hate not being able to do anything," Aang muttered.

"Hopefully you won't need to," Toph answered as Sokka joined us. The other ship stopped beside us and three of the soldiers came over to our ship.

"Commander, why are you off-course?" the one in charge asked Hakoda. "All western fleet ships are supposed to be moving toward Ba Sing Se to support the occupation."

"Actually, we're from the eastern fleet," Hakoda answered. "We have orders to deliver some cargo."

"Ah, eastern fleet. Well, nice of Admiral Chen to let us know he was sending one of his ships our way."

"I'm sure Admiral Chen meant no disrespect, sir," my father offered.

"I mean, how hard is it to write a quick note and send a hawk our way?"

"Next time, we'll send two hawks, just to be sure you get the message," Hakoda suggested to appease the man. Then they bowed to the man in the Fire Nation style, as did the Fire Nation soldier and turned away. As the soldiers walked away, Toph's eyes widened.

"They know!" she yelled and bent the metal of the ship to cause the soldiers to fall into the ocean.

I was shocked that she could bend metal, but couldn't give it much thought as Katara and I ran to the side of the ship and lifted a wave from the water to force the other ship away from us. With the two of us, they went twice as far as they would have moved if it had only been me or Katara alone. Our ship pulled away and the other one quickly followed. Fireballs were catapulted towards us and nearly hit our ship a few times. Toph threw a boulder right back at them, destroying a catapult on the Fire Nation ship pursuing us.

A grappling hook was thrown into the hull of our ship and it shuddered from the force. Katara froze the water where the hole had been formed while I created a fog from the ocean to shroud us from the enemy ship. Once through the fog, the enemy ship was still on our tail and threw a fireball at us. It landed on the deck and Katara pulled up water to put out the flames.

"How're we doing?" The Duke asked.

"Things couldn't get much worse," Sokka answered and a giant serpent flew up from the water. "The universe just _loves_ proving me wrong, doesn't it?"

"You make it too easy!" Toph yelled. The enemy ship threw a fireball at the serpent, bringing its attention to them, rather than us. I pumped my fist into the air in triumph as the beast wrapped itself around the Firebenders' ship.

"Thank you, the universe."

* * *

Days later, we were in an Earth Kingdom port to gather supplies. I'd remained on the ship and spent more time with my father for as long as I could. There was so much about him I'd missed in the ten years I'd been away. I was beginning to learn what a strong man my father was, and that I actually hadn't inherited much from him physically. He told me I looked much more like my mother, with the exception of my hair. While hers was very wavy, mine was straight like my father's.

"You've grown into a beautiful young woman, and a great Waterbender. Your mother would be proud," he said to me. I blushed lightly and tucked my hair behind my ears.

"Thank you, Papa," I murmured shyly. "But I think I may have to cut my hair soon."

"Why? You know, most people of the Water Tribes grow their hair out." I nodded slowly, understanding that was part of my culture. But being easily recognizable was not something I could afford for the time being.

"The Fire Nation will be looking for me, because now Azula knows I'm Half the Avatar. If I change my look a little bit, I might be able to avoid the wanted posters for a bit longer."

"It makes sense. I'll cut it for you, if you want." I nodded and turned where I sat so my father could reach my hair. He pulled out a knife and sliced through my hair at the base of my neck. I heard him gasp a moment later. "What happened to your back, Kala?" My eyes widened as I realized my Fire Nation clothes bared my scar, and my hair was now too short to hide it.

"It's nothing, Papa. I've had it for a long time," I answered quickly and turned around.

"How long? What happened to you after you were captured by the Fire Nation? Who did this to you?" he demanded, his hands gripping my shoulders.

"I became a servant in the Royal Palace. This was my punishment for angering Fire Lord Ozai. But it only happened a few times. I was good, and wasn't whipped like that after I was eight."

"This happened for two years?" Before I could answer, Aang ran past us and flew off of the ship.

"Aang!" I yelled and stood quickly. "Aang, come back!" My words fell on deaf ears as he disappeared with the evening light. Katara returned from the town with food for Aang and I stopped her before she could go down to Aang's room.

"Kala, what's wrong?" she asked, seeing the expression on my face.

"Aang ran off. I don't know where he went."

"What? Why didn't you stop him?"

"I can't fly!" Katara ran off, up to the command tower of the ship, where her father was. I stared after her sadly and looked back to my father. "Papa, I'm afraid… Aang's hurt and in no condition to fight anyone. What if he runs into trouble? We can't stop Fire Lord Ozai without him." My father stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, though I could tell his hands avoided the scar on my back.

"It'll be okay. You'll see," he urged gently. I stepped away from him and leaned over the edge of the ship. There was a bad storm coming; I could see the clouds in the distance. I looked up at the full moon and closed my eyes.

"Yue, please protect him and help him return to us," I whispered. A few moments later, Katara came back down to the deck with Sokka and Toph.

"We're taking Appa and looking for Aang," she said firmly.

"I'm coming with you." I turned to my father and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Papa." I left with Katara, Sokka and Toph and we flew through the night in the direction Aang had run. It wasn't until morning we found him, washed up on the shore of a crescent-shaped island that was formed by an active volcano.

"You're okay!" Katara exclaimed as she hugged Aang tightly and the rest of us ran after her. Sokka and Toph joined her to hug Aang and I once again felt like an outsider watching them. I was happy we had found Aang, though, and smiled softly at the sight.

"I have so much to do," Aang murmured.

"But you don't have to do it alone," I answered. "You and I are going to be working together from now on, and you have them." I motioned to Katara, Sokka and Toph.

"You didn't think you could get out of training just by coming to the Fire Nation, did you?" Toph added with a chuckle.

"What about the invasion?" Aang asked.

"We'll join up with my dad and the invasion force on the day of the eclipse," Sokka answered.

"Hey, what's-" Toph began as she pulled a piece of wood out of the water. It was Aang's glider, now broken beyond repair. "Oh… It's your glider."

"That's okay," Aang said somberly. "If someone saw it, it would give away my identity. It's better for now that no one knows I'm alive." He leapt up onto a higher part of the volcano and planted his glider into a space where lava was starting to flow between the rocks. It caught fire as he jumped back down to join us.

"I'm glad you've come to terms with your death," I said with a chuckle as we all got on Appa and flew off again. This was the start of a new chapter in my life, one where I would have to truly face myself and become my own person, no longer following behind Zuko and Iroh. I only hoped I would be ready for the challenges ahead of me.

* * *

**And there's the end of that chapter. What do you guys think? Please R&R.**


	33. Chapter 32

**Sorry for taking so long to update... I'm not dead, I promise! And this is NOT a dead-fic until the day I stop WANTING to work on it... it's just a matter of actually finding the time to, what with graduation and being in Sweeney Todd at my school... Yeah. Fun stuff. So, here is chapter 32 for those of you who are actually still reading this story. If it makes you feel any better, this chapter is ten pages long on my computer, and the beginning of it explores some of Kala figuring out just who she is. So, yeah, fun. :D Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only get dibs on Kala and any other OCs I've added into the mix.**

* * *

Traveling with Aang and his friends was a very different experience from being with Zuko and Iroh. We were able to hide in plain sight, with Aang and I bending a cloud around us as we flew on Appa's back. There was something that continued to bother me, though. I knew that now that I was no longer traveling with Zuko and Iroh, I would have to face myself. But who was I? I'd followed the rules of an expendable servant for so long, I felt like it was all I knew. Start with the basics, I told myself.

My name was Kala, daughter of Bato and Kalila, and I was born in the Southern Water Tribe. I was Half the Avatar. I had been taken from my home when I was six years old and brought to the Fire Nation. I had once been a servant, but was now free of that bondage. I admired Iroh's wisdom. I was hopelessly, and stupidly, in love with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. And I hated Fire Lord Ozai with every fiber of my being, and wanted him dead. I realized then that I was willing to do almost anything to bring Ozai down.

"I think I see a cave below," Aang called, snapping me out of my thoughts, and we landed on an island in the Fire Nation.

"Be quiet," Sokka hissed. Aang Airbended the cloud away and Sokka leapt off of Appa, checking around the cave for other people. "Great job with the cloud-camo, but next time let's disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud that knows how to keep its mouth shut." He glanced around the corner suspiciously again as the rest of us got off of Appa.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want a bird to hear us chatting up there and turn us in," Toph retorted sarcastically, earning an odd look from Sokka.

"Hey! We're in enemy territory. Those are enemy birds." One of said birds jumped onto Sokka's head and let out a strangled squawk while the rest of us laughed.

"Sokka, it's just a toucan-puffin. Their presence here means that we're on one of the outer islands of the Fire Nation," I answered, waving my hands to shoo the birds away. Instead, the one on Sokka's head leapt onto my arm and perched there. "I've always heard they were friendly, but I didn't think _this_ friendly." I carefully set the toucan-puffin on the ground, where they preferred to hunt for food, and entered the cave with the rest of my new traveling companions.

"Well, this is it," Sokka began just as I'd entered. "This is how we'll be living until the invasion begins, hiding in cave after cave, after cave…" He trailed off dismally, realizing how unappealing it sounded. I chuckled softly at his response. Having spent time sleeping in the forest while traveling with Zuko and Iroh, the idea of a cave didn't bother me, so long as cave-hoppers didn't land on me in my sleep.

"Sokka, we don't _need_ to become cave-people," Katara reminded him. "What we need is some new clothes."

"Yeah, blending in is better than hiding out. If we get Fire Nation disguises, we'll be just as safe as we would be hiding in a cave," Aang added.

"Plus, they have real food out there," Toph commented. "Does anyone want to sit in the dirt and eat cave-hoppers?" She hit the wall and a couple dozen of the little, white insects flew out of the crevices of the rock. Momo dove for one of them.

"Anyone besides Momo or the toucan-puffins?" I asked with a grimace. Sokka agreed that new clothes would be for the better and we all left together. While I had the one Fire Nation outfit I was wearing, I knew it would be better if I could find something different. We found a small house a little farther down the mountain with clothes hanging out on the lines.

"I don't know about this," Aang murmured as we peered over a formation of rocks. "These clothes belong to somebody." While I had to agree with Aang, and I greatly disliked when Zuko had stolen from others, I understood that this was necessary. Our theft was for our survival, not luxury.

"I call the silk robe!" Katara announced and climbed over the rock wall we were behind. I gave in an incredulous look. So much for survival, not luxury.

"But, if it's essential to our survival… then I call the suit!"

We all ran through the rows of clothes hanging up and I grabbed a few items that I would need. Shirts and knee-length pants were enough, as I already had a pair of sandals and my hair was now too short to put into a top-knot. Katara and I walked off together to try on the new clothes. I changed out of my old halter-top and skirt, putting on the maroon pants and new shirt. To my dismay, the shirt I'd chosen had a diamond-shaped space in the back, between the bottom of the clothing and the tie at the base of my neck. It also bared much of my midriff, something I never really liked about Fire Nation clothing.

Once Katara finished dressing, I saw that she'd chosen a one-shouldered top that bared her stomach, as well as a pair of pants with a skirt over them. She looked beautiful in the red, though I figured it was best not to say it that way. Katara must have hated the Fire Nation, and the last thing she would have wanted to hear would be that she looked good as a Fire Nation girl. A general compliment would be better, I reasoned.

"You look good, Katara," I said with a smile.

"Thanks. You too," she answered as she tried to style her hair in the typical Fire Nation style.

"Let me help you. I used to do this all the time." I put Katara's hair into a top-knot and left two large pieces to hang in front of her, tied in a gold band. "Perfect." We returned to were Toph, Sokka and Aang were, and Katara asked them how she looked. Aang blushed and scratched the back of his head; I giggled at the sight.

"Uh, your necklaces," he pointed out and I reached up to touch the Betrothal Necklace that had been given to me when I was a child.

"Oh," Katara murmured. "Oh, yeah. I guess it's pretty obviously Water Tribe, isn't it?" We both took off our necklaces and I tied mine to my shirt so that the pendant was facing inwards. Later in the day, we went into town so Aang and his friends could buy some accessories for their new outfits. I still owned a bracelet and necklace that Zuko had bought me when I'd been his servant, so I was able to wear those.

"I used to visit my friend Kuzon here a hundred years ago," Aang said once we were outside of the shop. "So everyone, just follow my lead and stay cool. Or, as they say in the Fire Nation, stay flamin'."

"Aang, no," I answered sternly. It was too late and he'd already walked around the corner. "Don't do what he does. A lot changes in a hundred years, and _nobody_ says that in the Fire Nation." We walked through the town a bit, with Aang occasionally spouting off severely outdated sayings and idioms. When we came to a restaurant, Aang was disappointed that it only served meat.

"You guys go ahead. I'll just get some lettuce out of the garbage," he said and I realized he must have been vegetarian. I entered the restaurant with a shrug, followed by Sokka, Katara and Toph. They didn't seem too concerned about Aang being alone for an hour, so I figured he would be fine.

"So, Kala, you've lived in the Fire Nation for ten years. What's it actually like?" Toph asked as we sat at one of the tables.

"It's very much about respect and honor here," I answered, looking over the menu. "We bow to our elders, or people of higher rank than us. In other words, you guys need to bow to every official we talk to. And be sure to do it properly. Curl your right hand into a fist, and place your left hand, straight up, on top of it. Like this." I demonstrated the proper way to hold one's hands for a bow.

"I can't see that," Toph muttered and I took her hands to place them in the correct position.

"Also, try not to use any slang, especially when speaking to adults. We'll be overlooked if we appear as polite travelers, rather than manner-less slobs. Like I said, the Fire Nation is big on respecting your elders. Don't speak out against an official if you can avoid it." The memory of Zuko's father burning him came to mind, and I quickly shook my head.

* * *

After eating, we returned to the cave, only to find that Aang wasn't there. He'd disappeared again and we were all suddenly stricken with fear. Had he been captured? Had someone figured out he wasn't actually from the Fire Nation? It was because I hadn't explained to him how to act behave properly in the Fire Nation, wasn't it? The sun had just finished setting when Aang suddenly appeared in the opening of the cave.

"Where have you been?" Katara demanded. "We've been worried sick."

"I got invited to play with some kids after school," Aang answered, removing the headband that covered his arrow. Sokka shot up from where he'd been lounging and my head snapped up.

"After _what_?" we both yelled.

"I enrolled in a Fire Nation school. And I'm going back tomorrow."

"Enrolled in _what_?" Sokka demanded again before falling back in shock.

"Aang, you don't know the first thing about acting like a Fire Nation civilian," I urged. "I primarily know how to behave like a servant!"

"It can't be that hard," Aang answered as he took a seat near the campfire. Sokka sat back up with his arms crossed.

"Aang, I'm trying to be mature and not immediately shoot down your idea, but it _sounds_ really terrible," he said.

"Yeah, we got our outfits. What do you need to go to _school_ for?" Toph asked.

"Every minute I'm in that classroom, I'm learning new things about the Fire Nation. I already have a picture of Fire Lord Ozai. And here's one that a made out of noodles," Aang answered and held up a portraits. I scowled and ripped the original picture out of his hands.

"This isn't a good thing, Aang!" I yelled. "If someone in that school figures out you're not from here, it's all over."

"They think I'm from the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom, and that my name is Kuzon."

"I still think it's too dangerous," Sokka insisted.

"I guess we'll never find out about the secret river, then. It goes right to the Fire Lord's palace. We were supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow."

"Hmmm… I am I fan of secret rivers."

"But-" I began.

"Fine, let's stay a few more days."

"Flamey-o, hotman!" Aang cheered and smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand.

"Stop saying that, Aang," I muttered. Sokka turned to me as Aang ran off into a deeper part of the cave to celebrate.

"Flamey-o?" he asked.

"Another outdated phrase." I stood and followed the young Airbender. "Aang, get back here. Just because you're in school doesn't mean I can't teach you a few things. We'll start with the Fire Nation oath."

* * *

The next day, Aang went back to school and I remained in the cave with Katara, Sokka, Toph, Momo and Appa. Sokka was pacing back and forth for a few hours and I was amazed he hadn't put a rut in the floor yet. I wasn't quite as worried. I thought I'd told Aang what he needed to know in order to get through the day. He knew a good portion of the Fire Nation Oath, though I'd told him to speak quietly on the parts he forgot, and I told him the customs to greet elders. He should be fine, I figured. Then, I was hit with a realization and I hit my forehead again.

"What's wrong, Kala?" Katara asked.

"Is Aang prone to expressing himself often?" I responded with a question of my own.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Does he like to dance?"

"Yes… what are you getting at?"

"Dancing is looked down upon by older members of the Fire Nation community, unless it's formal dance at a ceremony."

"It couldn't be _that_ bad, right?" Sokka asked nervously.

"I highly doubt Aang will receive my punishment for the first time _I_ danced, but that's only because he's with civilians and not in the palace."

"What happened to you?"

"Ozai had me whipped."

"For _dancing_?" Katara exclaimed.

"Ozai is not kind to his servants," I answered somberly. "The whippings ended soon enough, because I learned how to stay on his good side. Besides, it doesn't matter anymore."

"But still…"

"Zelia was whipped for an even more minor offense. It was just a part of life. I'd rather not talk about it," I said firmly, hoping Katara would stop the conversation. A few hours later, Aang returned from school with bad news. He'd gotten in trouble with the Headmaster and his parents had been requested for a meeting.

"Parents?" Sokka demanded. "Great, looks like we'll have to disguise ourselves even more."

Sokka and Katara decided they would be the ones posing as Aang's parents and dressed so they could look the part. Sokka put on a false beard with thick sideburns, while Katara dressed herself to look heavily pregnant. They left to go to the meeting with the Headmaster.

"Looks like Twinkletoes has done it again," Toph muttered some time after they'd left.

"Does Aang do this often?" I asked.

"He tries to avoid confrontation, which didn't work so well when I was trying to teach him Earthbending. Problem is: trouble finds him." I chuckled softly.

"Sounds like my situation. No matter where I was, trouble always seemed to follow. The thing was: no one knew I was Half the Avatar."

"It was probably from traveling with the banished prince from the Fire Nation."

"Maybe, or maybe I'm just prone to these things," I answered with a shrug. "It's hard for me to tell, because I've always had Zuko with me, ever since I was a child."

"Are you going to go all sappy on me?" Toph asked in a deadpan tone and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Not if you don't want me to." Sokka, Katara and Aang returned soon after and Sokka still kept his 'father' role as he began yelling at Aang.

"That settles it! No more school for you, young man!" he yelled and stroked his fake beard.

"I'm not ready to leave," Aang pleaded. "I'm having fun for once, just being a normal kid. You don't know what it's like, Sokka. You get to be normal all the time." Toph let out a false laugh at the mention of Sokka being normal.

"I think that's debatable," I commented with a chuckle.

"Listen, guys. Those kids at school are the future of the Fire Nation. If we want to change this place for the better, we need to show them a little taste of freedom."

"What could you possibly do for a country of depraved little fire monsters?" Sokka asked and I elbowed him.

"Just because Ozai's evil doesn't mean the civilians are."

"I'm gonna throw them a secret dance party!" Aang exclaimed. We all stared at him in shock for a moment. Sokka was the first to break out of it.

"Go to your room!" he yelled.

* * *

The next evening, however, we all found ourselves preparing for the dance party Aang had decided to throw. Toph made a stage out of the ground in the cave; candles were lit all around to give a nice feel of ambiance. There was even a fountain in the middle of our dwelling, courtesy of Aang and me.

"I can't believe we're actually throwing a dance party," I murmured as I set a few more candles around the cave.

"It seems so… silly," Sokka added.

"Don't think of it as a dance party, but as a cultural event celebrating the art of fancy footwork," Aang suggested.

"That sounds even worse," I answered with a light chuckle. I wondered briefly if I could light the candles with my Firebending, but I was out of practice, and only knew the very basics. Fire was a dangerous element to control, and the last thing I wanted to do was set the cave ablaze due to my own carelessness. As we finished setting up the cave, Aang's classmates arrived and Toph could hear, or feel, them before they came into sight.

"They're coming. Everyone stop bending," she ordered as Aang went to hide Appa in the back part of the cave that led to another way out. The guests entered and a band made up of Aang's classmates began playing music.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Aang began to announce, "The Flamey-O's!" Rather than start dancing, however, the other students merely stood where they were. Girls were on one side, while boys were on another.

"I don't think my parents want me dancing in a cave," one of the younger boys said, sinking into his uniform. I sighed softly. I'd tried to warn Aang about this, but he'd been too excited to listen. Fire Nation children just weren't taught to dance. It wasn't seen as proper.

"Yeah, what if someone finds out?" another boy asked worriedly.

"Listen guys, dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you," Aang answered.

"Maybe it was different in the colonies, Kuzon, but we don't do that here."

"Sure you do! You have for generations. It just so happens that I know several classic Fire Nation dances."

He then began demonstrating a few of these dance moves to the onlookers and I smiled lightly. I admired his determination to bring joy to the children of the Fire Nation. He began pulling other students to join him, and they slowly began opening up more. When Aang invited Katara to join him, that was when I decided to bring in the other students. They were clumsy and awkward with their movements, but it was nothing a little Waterbending-style couldn't help. I approached one of the boys and tapped his shoulder.

"My name is Zelia," I said with the proper Fire Nation bow.

"I-I'm Zakku," he answered nervously and I smiled.

"Would you care to dance?"

The boy took my offered hand after a moment's hesitation and I led him towards the middle of the cave. There were two crowds formed now. One around Aang and Katara, and one around Zakku and me. I thought it a bit odd that I was leading the dance, but quickly grew accustomed to it as I moved with the fluidity of the Waterbender I was. Zakku tried to follow my lead, but soon became confused and his movements were awkward again. I took his hands in mine with a smile and helped him sway a little easier. I spun us around, and even did a few flips of my own on occasion. As the music ended, Zakku and I bowed to each other again and smiled at each other.

"That was a lot of fun, Zelia," he said, panting heavily in the middle of his sentence, as I was.

"I'm glad you had as much fun as I did," I answered. At that moment, the Headmaster from Aang's school and a few other adults entered the cave, and my face fell. The other students saw them and immediately stopped dancing, falling back into the shells they'd been locked in before coming.

"He's the one we want!" the Headmaster yelled, pointing a finger at Aang. "The boy with the headband!" The soldiers with the old man ran forward and I grabbed Aang's arm to pull him out of sight. Thankfully, the other students helped distract the soldiers while we escaped with our friends on Appa.

"That was close," I whispered and wiped the sweat from my brow.

"You can take off the moustache now, Sokka," Katara said to her brother as we flew away.

"Oh, no I can't," he answered. "It's permanently glued to my skin."

"Way to go, Dancey-Pants," Toph said to Aang. "I think you really _did_ help those kids. You taught them to be free."

"I don't know. It was just a dance party, that's all," Aang answered modestly.

"You don't understand what a great thing that was for them, Aang," I answered with a smile. "You gave them something they would never have been able to experience without that dance party. I thought it wasn't going to work, but you proved me wrong."

"That was some dance party," Katara added and kissed Aang's cheek, bringing a light blush to his face.

"So, where to next?" I asked.

"There's no set place," Sokka answered. "We don't really plan much of where we go, just as long as we get to our final destination in time." My eyes widened in surprised at this.

"So you guys _aren't _great evasive strategists?" I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, if only Zuko could have heard that. He was so convinced you guys were going all over the place so we wouldn't be able to follow you." This earned me a few hard and serious stares from my traveling companions and I cleared my throat. "Uh… sorry."

To be unable to talk about Zuko or Iroh around them would be hard for me, I realized. Those two had always been such a large part of my life, but now I had to avoid conversation involving them. I wondered how I'd be able to do that. Many of my past experiences and the things I'd learned involved Zuko. _Remember the good_. My good memories were with Zuko and Iroh; my bad memories were with Ozai. If I was to follow Granny Hwei's advice, I would _have_ to remember the good times with Zuko, but that would be so difficult when the worst of my memories was of him betraying me only a week ago.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please R&R.**


	34. Chapter 33

**I know it's been a while since my last update, and I'm sorry for the wait. I just haven't had the time to watch the Day of Black Sun episodes in order to start writing those chapters. Hopefully, I'll be able to get to them sometime soon so I can write more. In the meantime, here is chapter 33.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and the other OCs I throw in.**

* * *

Sometime later, we were traveling through a riving the middle of a Fire Nation island, but Appa was getting stuck in all the muck that coated the top of the water. I looked over his saddle and into the green sludge that floated by, holding back bile in my throat. It was disgusting to see the river in such a condition. What on earth could the people have done to pollute it so badly?

Even grosser was the idea that Aang was _playing _in the sludge. Momo flew overhead and Aang would dive under the muck, only to pop back up again and call the lemur's name. He hadn't even seemed to realize the condition of the water until he was done playing. Aang popped out of the water again and landed in the saddle, nearly splashing the muck on me.

"Hey, guys, I think this river's polluted," Aang said as he Airbended the sludge off of him, and all over us.

"Excellent deduction," I muttered as I stared down at my clothes. Aang sent a gust of air to blow the sludge off all of us, but the smell still lingered.

"Well, that explains why I can't catch a fish around here," Sokka answered. "Because, normally, my fishing skills are _off the hook_." I cocked an eyebrow and no one laughed. "Get it? Like a fishing hook?"

"Does he _always _do this?"

"Yeah," Katara mumbled.

"Too bad your skills aren't _on_ the hook," Toph commented, earning a good laugh. Sokka frowned and glared at us.

"It looks like we'll need to go somewhere else to get food, assuming that'll fit into Sokka's master schedule." Sokka unraveled the long piece of parchment that he'd introduced to us only days before as his 'Schedule for the Solar Eclipse Invasion'. We were fortunate he didn't give it some kind of obscure name, so I'd been told by Toph.

"It's doable," Sokka answered. "But that means only two potty breaks today."

"Sokka, I think you're being a little ridiculous," I said gently.

"Hey, maybe we can get food over there," Aang suggested, pointing to a village not far from where Appa was swimming in the sludgy river. Aang steered Appa out of the river and we hid him under a large patch of grass while we went into the small town. It was on wooden supports in the middle of the river, floating on top of the sludge.

"I don't feel anything. Where's this village?" Toph asked.

"It's in the middle of the river," I answered.

"Sure is," a voice from below called. We looked down to see an older man on a boat docked at a make-shift pier. It didn't look very sturdy, but seemed to be holding up well enough for him. "My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?"

"We're from the Earth Kingdom colonies," Katara answered for the group.

"Wow! Colonials! Well, hop on. I'll give you a ride into town," Dock offered. The five of us boarded and Dock began to bring us across to the town.

"Why do you guys live on the river?"

"Because we're a fishing town. At least, that's how it was before the factory moved in."

"Is that factory the reason the river is like this?" I asked motioning to the sludge his paddle was going through.

"That's right. The Army makes their metal there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river. Now our little village is struggling to survive."

"That's terrible," Aang murmured as the boat docked in the village. We stepped off the boat and began walking away, with Aang calling a thanks to Dock. As we walked through the small town, we could see very few people around. All of them looked miserable or sickly. It was depressing sight and it made me want to help these people.

"I wish we could do something for them," I murmured.

"No," Sokka answered. "We can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we have to stay focused on. These people are on their own." Katara ran forward and grabbed her brother's shoulder.

"These people are starving, but you turn your back on them? How can you be so cold and heartless?" she demanded.

"I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic! We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking out the Fire Lord." Toph shoved her hand over Sokka's mouth to keep him from speaking forward and I shook my head with a sigh.

"Hey, loudmouth!" Toph yelled. "Maybe we should be a little quieter when talking about taking out the Fire Lord." Sokka nodded as Toph removed her hand.

"Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first."

"He's right," I murmured. "As much as I want to help them, I know we have to focus on the bigger picture."

"I guess so," Katara conceded.

"Let's just get what we need and go," Aang suggested. We continued through the village until coming to a small hut in the market. Behind the counter, oddly enough, was Dock.

"Hey, Dock," Sokka greeted easily. "You work here too?"

"I'm not Dock," the man answered. "I'm Xu. Dock's my brother." I blinked a few times curiously and wondered if this man was telling the truth and looked remarkably like his brother, or if he was Dock trying to fool us. Or if the man was one turtle-duck short of a flock.

"But we just saw you," Aang tried to argue. "You're even wearing the same clothes. The only difference is your hat."

"Dock works on the docks. That's why they call him Dock, and I work in the shop. That's why they call me Xu."

"I don't get it."

"Me neither," Xu answered and grabbed a box from behind the counter. "Now, what can I get ya? Hey, I'll give you a special deal. If you buy three fish, I'll throw in a clam for free!"

We looked into the box and saw a bunch of fish that looked as though they had rotted months ago. Sokka poked a clam and sludge from the river came out of its shell. I backed away, covering my mouth to keep my stomach from rejecting what I'd eaten for breakfast.

"We'll just take the fish," Sokka said, sounding as grossed-out as I felt. "Mind telling your brother we need a ride back to shore?" Xu wrapped up the fish, handed the package to Katara and ducked below the counter. A second later, he came back up with a different hat on.

"Hey, colonials. My brother says you need a lift," he said, and I was sure then that Dock and Xu were one and the same.

We shrugged and started following him to the boat. There was no use arguing with him. Katara joined us a moment later and we went back to where we had hidden Appa and Momo to set up camp. Night fell and we began preparing dinner. Toph and I worked together to clear the sludge from the water we would be using to cook with, and Katara put the purified water into a large pot to boil.

"Our detour into this town today has _completely_ thrown off our schedule," Sokka said as we worked. "It's gonna take finagling to get us back on track."

"Finagle away, oh Schedule Master," Toph muttered.

"Well, for starters, it looks like we'll need to wake up forty-three minutes earlier every day.

"Forty-three minutes?" Katara asked.

"Look, we only have a few weeks to get to the Fire Lord in time for the invasion and the eclipse, which, by the way, only lasts for eight minutes. And we just lost a whole day. So if we wanna make up the time and stay on-schedule, we have to wake up early."

"Well, _I'm_ not waking up early," Toph countered, lying back with her hands behind her head.

"Or we could just cut out all of our eating breaks."

"Sokka, we have to eat if we want to keep up our strength in order to _face_ Ozai," I reminded.

"I got it! How's this? From now on, we'll take food breaks and potty breaks at the same time?" Aang spit out his soup in disgust.

"That's unsanitary and gross, Sokka."

"Hey, it might be gross, but it's efficient. Either way, we have to leave here first thing tomorrow morning," Sokka answered and walked off while raveling his master schedule back up. I shrugged my shoulders and drank more of the broth from my soup.

"Sounds good enough for me," I murmured.

I had no problem with getting up early and leaving this village. As much as I wanted to help, I knew that, just as Sokka had said, the best way to help was to defeat Ozai. Taking him out of power would restore balance to the world. But then, who would take his place? It couldn't be Azula; she would just do the same thing her paternal lineage had done. I wasn't sure if I could trust Zuko in that position anymore either because of his betrayal in Ba Sing Se. That left Iroh. We could find him again and, with any luck, convince him to take the position as Fire Lord. He would be a just and wise ruler, I reasoned. It was something I could bring up when the time came.

* * *

The next morning, we awoke to discover that Appa was ill. The first reaction from Sokka was how it would affect his schedule, which earned glares from the rest of us. I turned away and walked over to Appa, rubbing his fur gently. He looked miserable and I felt bad for him.

"He must have gotten sick from being in the polluted water," Toph suggested.

"He doesn't look sick," Aang said. "You okay, buddy?" Appa opened his mouth and we could see that his tongue had turned purple. "That can't be good! Katara, can you heal him?"

"It looks like he needs some medicine," she answered. "Maybe we can find the right herbs in town."

"You guys go ahead," I said. "I'll stay here with Appa and look after him."

The other four left me alone with Appa and Momo, and I sat on the ground beside the giant bison. He rolled over to lie on his stomach and I stroked his head gently. Momo climbed into my lap and I rested a hand on the top of his head as well. It seemed that even without an animal guide, I was able to handle living animals well enough. When the others returned that evening, Sokka showed off the two-headed fish he'd bought, leaving me to grimace as he insisted we cook it for dinner. After much protest, we were forced to prepare the fish for our evening meal before going to bed.

In the morning, we went back into town and found the people to be much happier than they'd been when we'd first arrived. We went to the little stand where Dock worked as his 'brother' to sell those disgusting fish. We found him polishing a little statue, which Aang had explained to me was the guardian of the town, the Painted Lady.

"Hi, Dock," Sokka greeted the strange man. "Is Xu around?"

"Let me check," Dock answered and ran around the back of the stand. When he returned, he was wearing the white hat to signify himself as Xu.

"I quit trying to figure him out," I murmured as I watched him.

"Hey, there!" Xu greeted. "Back again, are ya?" Toph stepped forward and pushed Sokka out of the way.

"We need more food," she told him. "Our friend is still sick and we can't leave until he's better."

"Oh, well, that's too bad," the old man said as he gave us clams for our money. "Maybe if you guys are lucky, the Painted Lady will visit you in the night and heal your friend."

"And maybe she'll cook us a midnight snack, and we'll all have a sing-along," Sokka suggested sarcastically.

"Yeah, maybe!" I shook my head slowly. There was no reasoning with the man. "You know, last night she visited us again, healing most of our sick folks."

"Is that why this place seems so festive?" Aang asked.

"Yep! It's all because of the Painted Lady," Xu answered as a large wooden statue of their guardian spirit was erected in the town square.

"Can you believe how much can be affected by one lady?" Katara asked happily. "I mean… spirit?"

"Well, I hope she returns every night. Otherwise, this place would go right back to the way it was," Sokka answered. Katara seemed upset and spun around to look at her brother.

"Why would you say that? Look how much better-off these people are."

"Yeah, _now_. But without her, they wouldn't be able to fend for themselves."

"Think about it, Katara," I supplied gently. "As long as that factory is still there, the river will still be polluted, and these people will be put back into the sickly positions they were in before we came here."

The next morning, I was awoken earlier than usual by a hand on my shoulder. I tried to brush it away and ignore the wake-up call, but it came back. When I tried to smack the person away again, my hand hit a rock and my knuckles protested with a sharp pain running through my hand. I sat up straight and cradled my hand close to my chest with a yelp.

"Okay, I'm up!" I yelled. Sokka shushed me and covered my mouth with his hand.

"Keep it down or they'll hear you," he hissed. I gave him a confused expression and watched as he stood with Toph as Katara and Aang came out from behind a large boulder. I cocked an eyebrow at them, wondering what I'd missed in my slumber.

"Hi, Sokka," Katara greeted nervously. "We were just out on a morning walk."

"Oh really? A morning walk?" He held up Katara's sleeping bag and dumped out a pile of hay from it. "I know you're the Painted Lady! I know you've been sneaking out at night! And I know you've been lying about Appa and you've been feeding him purple-zing tongue berries!" Sokka pointed to Toph, who stuck out her now-purple and held up a bag of purple berries. I stood from the mat I'd been sleeping on and put my hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"Sokka, calm down for a minute," I started.

"No. What Katara did put our whole mission in jeopardy! We're leaving _right now_!"

"Is it so wrong to want to help people?"

"We could help them by taking out the Fire Lord, but we can't do that if we get captured!" I sighed heavily and gave Katara an apologetic look. I was beginning to see how stubborn Sokka was, nearly as bad as Zuko, and he would be difficult to argue with in this situation. I could see both sides of the argument. As Aang walked by, Sokka stopped him. "And how long have _you_ known about this?"

"Hey, I just found out this morning," Aang answered and ducked away. We all began packing out belongings to depart, when we heard strange noises coming from the river. When we went to go check it out, we found Fire Nation soldiers heading for the village.

"What did you do?" Sokka demanded of his sister.

"I kind of destroyed their factory," Katara answered.

"What?" I yelled. "Katara, I know I said that would help them best, but doing so led the man in charge of the factory to believe it was the _villagers_ that did it, not a spirit. The Fire Nation officials don't believe in minor deities. There is Agni, and there is the Royal Family. That's it!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?"

"Leave!" Sokka yelled. "Do nothing!"

"No! I will never, _ever_ turn my back on people who need me! I'm going down to the village, and I'm gonna do whatever I can." Katara stormed off and Sokka ran after her. He agreed to help her stop the Fire Nation army, saying that he was never going to turn his back on his sister. It was sweet, and Aang started crying, only to be punched to the ground by Toph.

"I think the Painted Lady should make one final appearance," I said with a smirk and we moved quickly to dress Katara as the village's guardian spirit. The Firebender leading the soldiers set one of the huts where a small family lived on fire.

"Where's your Painted Lady now?" he asked harshly.

The other soldiers pulled apart some of the wooden beams holding the village afloat. As two more soldiers lit a giant fireball to be launched, Aang used his Airbending to put it out. They tried again, and Aang blew it right back out again. As he did so, I began lifting a fog into the air from the river, creating the proper ambiance for our Painted Lady to appear.

Toph and Appa added sound effects, creating a more eerie feel to the air around the village. It was time for the Painted Lady to appear. I parted some of the fog just enough for Katara to be seen. Using her own Waterbending, she propelled herself forward, stopping just after she landed on the docks. Aang was underneath the wooden pier pathway, and blew a gust of air at the soldiers to scare them away from Katara.

"Not so tough now," I whispered as I continue to shift the fog around the village.

"Stand your ground!" the Firebender yelled as his men continued to back away. Katara put on quite the show, using her Waterbending to destroy the boats the Fire Nation soldiers had ridden in on. When the remaining soldiers fled the scene, only the leading Firebender remained. "I'll take care of you myself!" He threw a stream of fire at Katara, but she was blown into the air by a gust of Aang's wind from beneath her. The dock beneath the Firebender shattered and he was thrown into the grimy river.

"Leave this village and _never_ come back!" Katara ordered and the man began swimming away. I smiled at the success of our plan and ran to a boat, where I found Sokka and Toph.

"That worked out great, Sokka," I exclaimed. As we neared the village, Katara hopped onto the deck again, where the villagers were cheering loudly. Dock stepped forward to personally thank the 'Painted Lady' for her aid in ridding the village of those Fire Nation soldiers.

"Me and my brothers really owe you a lot," he said, and then he got a good look at her. "Hey! Wait a minute! I know you. You're not the Painted Lady, you're that colonial girl. You've been tricking us! You're a Waterbender!" The other villagers then began yelling at Katara, asking how she could dare impersonate their deity. That was when Sokka stepped forward.

"Maybe she _is_ a Waterbender, but she was just trying to help you!" he yelled. "Because of her, that factory won't be polluting your river and the army is gone! You should be down on your knees, thanking her!"

"Sokka, it's okay," Katara said as she stepped forward, removing her rice paper hat. "I shouldn't have acted like someone I wasn't, and I shouldn't have tricked you. But I felt like I had to do something. It doesn't matter if the Painted Lady is real or not, because your problems are real, and this river is real. You can't wait around for someone to help you. You have to help yourself."

"She's right," Dock said. "But what should we do?"

"Maybe we can clean the river!" Toph called from within the crowd.

"Yeah! We can clean the river! Thank you. You know, you're not so bad for a Waterbender."

"You wouldn't mind keeping that a secret, would you?" I asked carefully.

"No problem. Keeping my mouth shut is a personal specialty. My brother, Xu, on the other hand… Oh, he's a blabber-mouth."

"So, Dock, are you gonna help us clean?" Katara asked.

"No, ma'am. I'm going to get my other brother, Bushi. He _loves_ cleaning rivers." He took off his orange hat and a small rice paper hat was revealed beneath it. "Alright, I'm Bushi. Let's get some river-cleaning done." Oh, yes, I told myself, this man was a strange one.

"Ah ha!" Aang yelled. "I knew it! I knew you were the same guy; the shop-owner and the boat guy."

"Oh, you must be talking about my brothers, Dock and Xu."

"No. I just saw you. You switched hats and called yourself a different name!"

"Oh, you know who does that? My brother, Dock," he answered and leaned forward to whisper. "He's crazy." I chuckled as Bushi walked away and rested a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"I wouldn't put too much thought into it, Aang," I told him. "You might drive _yourself_ crazy, that way."

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**This was one of those breather episodes/chapters. Hope you enjoyed it. Please R&R.  
**


	35. Chapter 34

**Well, at this point, I'm basically trying to power through some chapters. I'll be perfectly honest, I'm getting tired of looking at this fic and seeing it incomplete, because I've been working on it for so long... what is it, two years now? So, let's see how much I can get done in this week when I've got nothing important to do and no computer restrictions, eh?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and the various OCs I threw in.**

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After another week of travel, we'd been able to go deeper into Fire Nation territory with no trouble. Sokka had spent a few days in a small town, where he'd learned from the master swordsman, Piandao, and crafted a sword made from the metal found within a comet. Before leaving to continue traveling, Sokka was given a White Lotus Tile. I had smiled knowingly while the rest of the group was confused by the gesture.

Sometime after leaving that village, Aang spotted a lake surrounded by a natural wall of mountains. It was a wonderful place to rest for a short time, though I had the feeling Aang didn't want to just sit back and wait for the rest of us. I was proven correct when he dove head-first into the lake as we were landing Appa. It wasn't long before the rest of us were in the water as well, enjoying the cool feeling on such a hot day.

"Aang, I know swimming is fun and all, but do you really think you should be exposing yourself like that?" Toph asked. "Cover up!"

"What? I'm wearing trunks," Aang answered as he lounged back in the water with Momo on his stomach.

"I know! It's your tattoos I'm worried about! What if someone sees you?"

"There're walls all around us," Katara answered easily. "It's completely safe." A moment later, Aang disappeared into a cave the water was flowing down and I shook my head when I heard him yell out from excitement. It seemed he'd found a natural water-slide.

"There he goes," I murmured with a chuckle. Moments later, Aang was climbing back over the top of the rock wall and into the water again. That evening, we set up camp on the edge of the water, hidden behind the wall of mountains.

"Kala, is something bothering you?" Katara asked as I stared at the small campfire we'd used to cook our dinner. I snapped my gaze away from the flames and gave her a gentle smile, shaking my head. I couldn't tell them that I'd been thinking of Zuko again. I couldn't tell them that I felt a physical pain in my chest whenever I thought of him, and what happened in Ba Sing Se. I'd come so far, and couldn't break down now. Besides, they had more to worry about than my feelings for the prince.

"No, I'm fine," I answered. "Why do you ask?"

"You're lying," Toph commented in a bored tone.

I looked over at her curiously and shook my head slowly. Turning my gaze back to the campfire, I shrugged my shoulders. Sure, I'd had a lot on my mind, but it wasn't anything to worry my travel companions over. It was just so hard to believe Zuko had chosen to go with Azula. Then again, it was everything he'd always wanted since being banished from the Fire Nation. He had his honor and his father's acceptance. He must have been happy now, I reasoned. But there was still an ache in my chest that I didn't want to dwell on.

"You know, you can tell us," Katara said gently as she took a seat beside me on the ground. I shook my head.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," I whispered, but my voice broke and betrayed me. I tear rolled down my cheek and pulled my knees up to my chest, hiding my face behind them.

"It's about Zuko, right?" Aang asked and I nodded. He knew my feelings for the Fire Nation prince, though Katara had suspected it that time we met in that abbey that made perfumes. I'd tried to deny it back then, but there was no use now. Katara's hand rested on my shoulder and I wiped my eyes.

"He was everything that I wanted. And I know it's stupid to feel like this, especially after what happened in Ba Sing Se, but that's what makes it so hard. Even though I want to hate him for what he's done, I just can't."

"Zuko's a homicidal jerk," Sokka commented offhandedly with a yawn. "The sooner you drop him, the better."

I shook my head slowly and wiped my eyes again. I didn't want to talk about Zuko anymore, and shut down all attempts made by Katara, who quickly took the hint and left me alone. The five of us went to bed for the evening, planning to rest for our travels in the morning. We were awoken in the middle of the night when Toph felt something in the ground's vibrations.

"Guys," she called, "you're all gonna think I'm crazy, but it feels like a metal man is coming."

A beam of light came from the top of the rock wall and hit Aang in the eye, causing him to groan. We all looked up and saw a man where the beam of light was coming from, the moonlight glinting off of the metal of his hand. An odd ray of energy was thrown from the man, causing a segment of the rocks near us to explode. My eyes widened in fear as I stared up at the man, seeing the metal prosthetics on his right arm and leg. I could recognize him from the horror stories Zuko used to tell me when we were children. I'd thought he was only kidding, but apparently, this monster was real.

Toph used her Earthbending to attack the strange man, but he simply destroyed the boulders she sent his way. Everything we went his way exploded from the ray that came from the man's forehead. When Katara tried water from the lake, a heavy fog was created and we ducked behind another, smaller wall of earth.

"This is crazy!" Sokka yelled as more explosions went off around us. "How can we beat a guy who blows things up with his mind?"

"We can!" Aang answered. "Jump on Appa. I'll try to distract him." He ran into the fog and jumped over the mountains surrounding us, luring the explosions to follow him. It was apparent our attacker was after Aang specifically. Katara, Sokka, Toph and I all got onto Appa and flew away from the lake. Moments later, we found Aang falling from the air and caught him in the saddle, Katara holding him tightly.

"Are you alright?" I asked in a shaky voice. Seeing that man and his powers frightened me; I knew who he was.

"I'm okay," he answered wearily.

"Well, that was random," Toph said.

"I don't think so. I get the feeling he knows who we are," Katara answered.

"He does," I murmured, wrapping my arms around myself, earning odd stares from my companions.

"Who was he?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know his name, but he's an assassin. Zuko used to tell me scary stories about a man with a metal arm and leg that could destroy anything with a thought. He'd bring me to his room in the middle of the night to tell me these stories, because I wasn't supposed to be there in the late hours. I'd already be on-edge, and then scare me with the tales of that man. He's an assassin who kills without remorse, and he never speaks, so he'll never betray whoever hired him."

"Sounds like a pretty scary guy," Toph commented.

"The stories Zuko told made him sound utterly terrifying. I don't know how many of them are true, but apparently the explosions were."

"We'll have to be more careful from now on," Sokka said. The others nodded in agreement and we continued flying to find somewhere to sleep for the rest of the night.

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**Sorry this chapter is so short. If it makes you feel better, they will be getting longer in the chapters leading up to the Day of Black Sun (which I just finished writing and now have them heading to the Western Air Temple). Things are going to be getting interesting soon, as Kala's going to be breaking out of her 'servant' mold little by little. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as short as it was.**

**Please R&R.**


	36. Chapter 35

**Well, thanks to my planning WAY back two years ago when I first started writing this story, I'm going to be able to post another chapter within the next couple of days. Why? Because after I finished writing the Western Air Temple chapter today, I remembered that I'd already written the Firebending Masters chapter two years ago. So, now I'm up to chapter 42 in what I've got written already. Not much longer before I can finally finish this story. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and my OCs.**

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Fires erupted in my dreams, surrounding me completely where I stood in darkness. Oddly, I was not afraid. Instead, I was comforted by the warmth of the flames. A figure approached and I slowly stood to face him. After a moment, Roku's face came into view and I smiled softly.

"Kala," he began, "it's time you learned my history with Fire Lord Sozin. You need to understand how the war began, if you want to know how to end it." An image of an island with two large volcanoes and lush greenery came into view. "Meet me on my home island on the day of the Summer Solstice."

"I will, Roku," I answered politely and bowed my head to him. When I awoke in the morning, I told the others of my dream and the need to go to Roku's island.

"Why the solstice?" Toph asked as we boarded Appa and began flying away, Aang creating a cloud cover around us. I shrugged my shoulders, only realizing a moment later she couldn't see.

"I don't know. The Fire Nation has always been very big on either the Winter or Summer Solstice. I think it has something to do with the sunlight." After hours of flying, we found the island that I'd seen in my dream. "That's it!"

"This was Roku's home?" Aang asked as Appa landed on the island.

"Yeah. It's what I saw."

"But, there's nothing here," Katara said. I had to agree with her. The ground beneath us was nothing but rocks formed from lava cooling. Toph jumped down from Appa and the force vibrated beneath our feet.

"Yes, there is," she answered. "An entire village. Hundreds of houses. All completely buried in ash."

I walked around the island until coming to a cliff that fast faced the sunset. I took a seat atop it and closed my eyes, meditating to as to be able to speak with Roku. After a moment, I could hear wings flapping and I opened my eyes to see that I was now on a lonely plateau. I figured I must have made it to the Spirit World when I saw Roku fly to me on a large, beautiful, red dragon. The beautiful creature placed its snout in front of me and rested a hand on it.

"Fang," I murmured softly, running my hand over his scales. Roku smiled at me and held out a hand for me to climb onto his dragon's back with him.

"Come, Kala," he said and we flew off.

"Where are we going?"

"To visit my past, our shared past." We were brought to a place I recognized well, the courtyard of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. There, I could see two men sparring with each other, until the one with longer hair fell over a tree root, having been pushed back by his sparring partner.

"Looks like I win again, Roku," the winner said with a smile.

"Are you kidding? The tree root did all the work," the other man, the younger version of Roku, answered. He was helped up by the victor with a smile. "Nice one, Sozin."

"You were friends with Fire Lord Sozin?" I asked incredulously as I watched the two walk away.

"Back then, he was just Prince Sozin," the older man beside me answered. "And he was my best friend." I watched as the younger Roku tried to talk to a beautiful young woman, but was unable to find words. He fell back in defeat with Sozin sitting beside him. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Love is hard, when you're young."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"Don't worry. It gets better. Now come with me. We have a party to attend."

Roku and I were suddenly standing in the middle of a grand festival, one that I would expect to see for a member of the Royal Family. I'd only seen a few parties when I lived in the palace, and I was never allowed to take part in them. Even as Zuko's personal servant, I was forbidden from joining him for his own birthday.

"Whose birthday is this for?" I asked.

"Sozin and I shared many things, including a birthday." The two young men being celebrated began walking down the steps, and Roku's younger self nearly tripped until Sozin caught the sleeve of his robes. They were then approached by the five Fire Sages, and Sozin stepped forward with a concerned expression on his face.

"Did something happen to my father?" he asked.

"No, Prince Sozin," the leading Sage answered. "We are not here for you. We are here to announce the identity of the next Avatar Half. It is our honor to serve you, Master Roku." The Fire Sages bowed to the floor, followed by all of the party guests and even Sozin.

Roku and I were suddenly placed in a room where we could see his younger self preparing to leave to fulfill his destiny. He would need to not only master fire and water, but also meet the other Half. While there wasn't a war to be fought like Aang and I faced, the Halves always had to meet in order to keep the balance in the world. After a moment, Sozin entered the room.

"Hey, why aren't you packed yet, all-powerful Avatar Half?" he asked jokingly, leaning in the frame of the doorway. "Come on, show me how it's done, using both water and fire! Or go into that cool state that lets you use all four kinds of bending." Sozin imitated the different styles mockingly, obviously trying to bring a smile to his friend's face. I was surprised to see this, expecting the young Fire Lord to be as cruel as Azulon and Ozai.

"I started packing, but then the Fire Sages told me I won't need any worldly possession anymore," the younger Roku answered. Sozin gave his friend a sympathetic look and sat next to him on the bed. "It happened so fast. Everything's gonna be different now." I watched as Sozin removed the jeweled top-knot holder that I recognized from the history books as being reserved for the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. I'd been told that he'd been the last prince to wear it, before it was lost forever. He held it out to the younger Roku.

"Here," he said. "I hope you're at least allowed to have this."

"But this is a royal artifact. It's supposed to be worn by the Crown Prince."

"I want _you_ to have it." Roku took the holder and put it on. I glanced back to the spirit of Roku beside me, only realize _he_ was wearing the same thing. It seemed he'd kept it for as long as he'd lived. Seconds later, I found myself riding on Fang again, with Roku in front of me.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"After meeting the other Half, I traveled to the Northern Water Tribe so I could master Waterbending," Roku answered.

"Who was the other Half?"

"Kiyoshi. She is the one who guides Aang." I nodded as the Northern Water Tribe came into view. I was still awestruck by the beauty of it, and saddened by the memory of Yue and the destruction I'd caused. Even after trying to open the chakras, it still hurt to think of the lives that were lost.

"It's such a beautiful place here," I murmured.

"Yes, it truly is," Roku answered and we watched for a moment as he battled a Waterbending master atop an arena of ice. "My training was bitter work but the results were worth it." I was shown an image of Roku years after leaving the Fire Nation, able to control both fire and water simultaneously. As I watched, I could only hope I would become as skilled. It had been twelve years since he'd left, and was now returning to the Fire Nation to see Sozin again. Roku's spirit and I watched his younger self approach his old friend in the throne room.

"Sozin," he greeted. "Or should I say Fire Lord?"

"Customarily, my subjects bow before greeting me," Sozin answered sternly and I could fight the scowl on my lips. The Fire Lord stood and approached Roku's younger self. "But you're the exception." The two of them hugged and my scowl melted into a warm smile. While it was surreal seeing this unknown side of Fire Lord Sozin, it was refreshing. For once, there was a Fire Lord that didn't seem to be pure evil.

"After all these years, he was still my best friend," Roku's spirit said. "And a few months later, he was my best man." We were brought to the memory of a wedding. It was between Roku and the young woman he'd tried to talk to twelve years prior after that sparring match with Sozin.

"That's the girl we saw before, the one that ignored you," I said with a soft chuckle. It was nice to see that he'd been able to be with the woman of his dreams.

"Ta Min. I was persistent. When love is real, it finds a way. And being Half the Avatar doesn't hurt your chances either." I chuckled softly and continued to watch the scene play out as the ceremony began. Sozin asked Roku to join him on one of the many balconies for a talk, and I wondered what could be so important as to interrupt a wedding. Roku's younger self seemed to be wondering the same.

"What's on your mind?" he asked his long-time friend.

"I've been thinking hard about the state of the world lately," Sozin answered.

"Sozin, it's my wedding. Have a cookie. Dance with someone. Lighten up."

"I know, I know. But, just hear me out." Roku's younger self nodded and Sozin began telling him of his thoughts. "Right from the start, I was destined to be Fire Lord. And although we didn't always know it, you were destined to be an Avatar Half. It's an amazing stroke of fate we know each other so well, isn't it? Together we could do _anything_."

"Yeah, we could."

"Our nation is enjoying an unprecedented time of peace and wealth. Our people are happy, and we're so fortunate in so many ways."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I've been thinking. We should share this prosperity with the rest of the world. In our hands is the most successful empire in history. It's time we expanded it." My eyes widened in shock, realizing _this_ was the moment Sozin began his plans to rule the world. Roku's younger self stepped forward, as though not believing what he was hearing.

"No! The four nations are meant to be just that: four."

"Roku, you haven't even stopped to consider the possibilities," Sozin pressed.

"There are _no_ possibilities. This is the last I want to hear about this," Roku said firmly, ending the conversation. He walked away and Roku's spirit beside me began to speak.

"That was my first real test as Half the Avatar," he told me. "Unfortunately, it was many years before I learned that Sozin had gone ahead with his plan, despite my warning."

We were shown Ba Sing Se, with the Fire Nation emblem hanging in front of what should have been the talisman of the Earth Kingdom. I watched as both Roku and Kiyoshi stormed into the Earth Kingdom palace to face Sozin. Kiyoshi was furious, but Roku had asked that she not attack until he'd had a word with his old friend.

"I've seen the colonies, Sozin!" he yelled. "How _dare_ you occupy Earth Kingdom territory?"

"How dare _you_, a citizen of the Fire Nation, address your Fire Lord this way?" Sozin asked, his voice carrying the tone often associated with a calm fury. "Your loyalty is to our nation first. Anything less, such as coming with the other Half, makes you a traitor."

"Don't do this, Sozin! Don't challenge us. It will only end badly. It's over."

When Roku turned away, Sozin leapt forward attacked with a large blast of fire, reminding me of Zuko's Agni Kai with Zhao that seemed like a lifetime ago. When the fire cleared, both Roku and Kiyoshi were missing, only to reappear from beneath the ground with Kiyoshi's Earthbending. She blew Sozin away with a gust of air and he landed on the other side of the throne room. A pillar of earth then came up and pinned Sozin to the ceiling by his robe.

"You should never have challenged the two of us," the woman said harshly as Roku unlocked the True Avatar State, destroying a large part of the palace.

"We are sparing you, Sozin," Roku said as he began walking toward where the front door had once been. "I'm letting you go in the name of our past friendship. But I warn you, even a single step out of line will result in your permanent end." Roku and Kiyoshi left without letting Sozin down from the pillar the woman had hung him on. The image faded away and I was shown the island I had been meditating on, but in a younger, lush time.

"Sozin and I didn't speak or see each other for twenty-five years after our battle," Roku's spirit informed me. "I spent most of my spare time here, at my home."

I saw Roku now as he appeared to me in spirit form. I figured it must have been nearing the end of his life. In the middle of the night what seemed to be an earthquake shook the house and woke the living Roku from his sleep with a jolt. Through the window, we could see balls of fire raining down on the island. Upon running outside, Roku's living form saw that one of the volcanoes was erupting and he urged his wife to leave with him. They ran as the smoke and force from the volcano began destroying the small town that was on the island.

After Ta Min was given the chance to escape, Roku entered the True Avatar state and began Airbending to fly to the top of the volcano, as well as force the smoke and ashes away from himself. He tried using Earthbending in the True Avatar State to hold back the lava as it flowed from the volcano, but there was too much. Instead, Roku created deep pathways in the mountain that led to the ocean for the lava to cool that way. It seemed to work for a time and I was awestruck.

"This is amazing," I whispered. "You battled a volcano without aid from Kiyoshi, and you were _winning_."

"Unfortunately, my success didn't last, Kala. There was no way I could do it all, even if Kiyoshi _had_ been there." The volcano continued to erupt with a vengeance, and though Roku was trying as hard as he could, even he was unable to stop it. "Battling the elements was hard enough, but I had to do it while I could barely breathe. The poisonous volcanic gasses were overwhelming."

Fang had tried to help Roku, but he'd told the dragon to leave for its own safety. Roku parted the volcano on the other side to allow the lava to flow in another direction and it seemed to be working. Then, an even bigger disaster struck when the other volcano also erupted. At that moment, Sozin arrived, riding his dragon.

"Need a hand, old friend?" he asked.

"Sozin?" Roku asked, just as surprised as I was to see the Fire Lord.

"There's not a moment to waste." Together, the two of them worked to stop the volcano from destroying the entire island. I was brought to the verge of tears as I watch the two join forces after so many years without speaking. When the volcano became too much, they both fled, but Roku was hit with a strong blast of the poisonous volcanic gas, leaving him unable to breathe. He collapsed to the ground, reaching a hand out to Sozin.

"Please," he begged.

"Without you, all my plans are suddenly possible. I have a vision for the future, Roku."

Sozin mounted his dragon and flew off, leaving Roku to die on the island. Fang returned and, knowing Roku's fate, wrapped himself around his master so they would die together under the ash from the volcano. I covered my mouth as angry tears flowed down my cheeks. Though I'd known what a cruel man Sozin had been from reading of his 'triumphs', as was taught in the Fire Nation, I hadn't expected him to betray his best friend in such a way.

I was taken from this horrific scene to the Southern Water Tribe, where I heard a baby crying. The child was lifted up and revealed to be a baby girl. She was handed to her father, and I suddenly realized I was staring at my own birth.

"Roku… I wasn't the next to be born after your death," I murmured.

"No. I was reborn twice over before you came, but neither reincarnation was able to face Fire Lord Azulon without Aang, who had been locked away in an iceberg. You must make sense of our past, Kala. Once you do, you will restore peace and bring balance to the world with Aang." Roku disappeared and I walked away from the scene of my birth, taking one last look at my young mother. I really did look so much like her. When I left the meditative state I was in, I found myself staring out into the ocean, back on Roku's home island.

"Well, how'd it go in the spirit world?" Sokka asked. I wiped my eyes of the tears that had fallen and turned to tell them everything I had seen.

"You mean after all Roku and Sozin went through together, even after showed him mercy, Sozin betrayed him like that?" Katara asked incredulously after I finished speaking.

"It's like these people are _born_ bad," Toph commented.

"No. Not at all," I answered firmly. I still remembered how Zuko had been when we were younger, how he'd been so kind. "I don't think that was the point of what Roku showed me."

"Then what _was_ the point?" Sokka asked.

"Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was. Their story proves that anyone is capable of great good, and great evil. And I think it was about friendships."

"Do you think friendships can last more than one lifetime?" Toph asked.

"Of course," I answered as I joined hands with her and Aang. Katara took her other hand and the four of us smiled.

"Well," Sokka began, "scientifically speaking, there's no way to prove that-"

"Oh, Sokka, just hold hands," Katara yelled and her brother grabbed her hand a second later. I chuckled softly and looked around at my traveling companions. No, I realized. They were more than just that. They were my friends now.

* * *

**So, here is the point where Kala can finally consider herself as part of the Gaang. Cute, right? lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And it was longer than the previous two, so I'm glade. Hahaha.**

**Please R&R.**


	37. Chapter 36

**Well, here is the chapter for "The Runaway" episode. I remember this one being such a pain to write all the way through. lol. Anyway, this has a bit of Kala exploring herself, as far as how she wants to be treated now that she's no longer a servant. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. Only the OCs are mine.**

* * *

Toph and Katara stood at the ready at the top of a cliff. They were on either side of Aang and me, and we were blindfolded. It was a training exercise that would help Aang and I be better able to anticipate attacks from our opponents. I knew I'd be at a disadvantage when it came to Toph's Earthbending, but that was why Aang would be fighting alongside me. The same was true between him and Katara's Waterbending.

"Okay, I'm ready for some training," Aang announced. I nodded in agreement with a smile.

"Let's go," I said. Aang's hand brushed against my arm, guiding me to run away from the pillars of earth that were coming up behind us. Aang's movements were swift and I had to hold onto him to make sure I wouldn't lose him. I heard a stream of water slice through the air and I redirected it as I heard Aang throw a boulder at Toph.

"Good job, Twinkletoes," the young Earthbender called. "Visualize, then attack!" Aang grabbed me and pulled me close to him. I felt the ground swallow us, only to be released a moment later.

"Maybe you should take your own advice, Toph!" Katara yelled angrily.

"What's the matter? Can't handle some dirt, Madame Fussy Britches?" I heard a wave of water come up from Katara and I bended it around Aang and me. Seconds later, it landed near where I'd last heard Toph.

"Oh, sorry. Did I splash you, Mudslug?" The ground shook beneath my feet and I could hear the water moving from Katara. Aang and I stood back to back, ready to ward off the attacks, but nothing hit us. Instead, it sounded as though Katara and Toph had hit each other.

"Are we taking a break?" Aang asked.

"Haaaaaaaaa! Sneak attack!" Sokka yelled from behind and I heard a small wall of earth come up, likely from Aang. I chuckled and lifted my blindfold to look at Sokka.

"Sneak attacks don't work if you call them out," I told him. "You have to be silent."

"Hungry for a mud pie!" Toph yelled. Aang and I turned to see her and Katara still fighting, now in a pit of mud that had been created from both of their bending.

"Uh, guys, I thought we were supposed to be training me and Kala," Aang interjected, stopping the girls in their tracks. Katara began walking forward, trying to shake some of the mud off her hands.

"Very well, pupil," she said. "I believe we've had enough training for today."

"Since when does Katara act like she's my Waterbending teacher?" I asked in a whisper, but Aang only shrugged.

"While Katara cleans up, let's go have some fun!" Toph suggested as she bended the mud off of her. Aang and Sokka cheered and I agreed it would be a good idea to go into town for a little while. As we were walking, we could see messenger hawks flying all around, landing in a shop that both sold them and acted as a post office.

"Look at all those messenger hawks," Sokka said. "You know, I've been thinking about getting one for myself. That way, I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. I could just send them messages."

"I gotta say, I like the idea of not talking to you," Toph commented, earning a frown from Sokka. I laughed and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sokka. I'll still talk to you," I told him with a smile.

"So, guys, what are we going to get with our last silver piece?" Aang asked.

"We can get more money," Toph answered as she stopped walking. "Right there." She pointed to an alley on a lower part of the street, where a small group of men were gathered around at table. It looked like they were gambling.

"Why there?" I asked.

"This is where you Seeing-people are at a disadvantage. Everyone guesses wrong because the dealer moves the rock at the last minute, but I can feel it with my Earthbending."

We approached the group of men in time to see the latest victim walk away crying over losing his money. I briefly wondered if it was the last of what he had. If that were the case, then it was really a stupid idea to be gambling when you have nothing left. What Toph planned was not a gamble. She would know exactly where the pebble was. The dealer looked up at us as the latest victim walked away and I saw his eyes focus on Toph.

"You there," he said. "Wanna play a friendly game?"

"How could I possibly play? I'm blind," Toph asked innocently, waving a hand in front of her eyes to prove her point.

"You don't have to see to be lucky." Toph got down on her knees and made a show of searching for the table and cups that the rock would be under. After 'finding' them, she took out our last silver piece and set it on the table. The dealer revealed the pebble under the middle cup, for the sake of those watching, and began shifting the cups around to mix it up. I watched Toph smirk and point to the cup on the far left. The dealer lifted it, revealing the pebble.

"Flamey-O, Toph," Aang exclaimed and I shook my head.

"What have I told you about saying that, Kuzon?" I asked with a sigh.

"Wow, fancy guessing," the dealer said and tossed two silver pieces on Toph's side of the table. "You're amazing at this. Would you like to make the game a little more interesting?" He began flipping coins over his knuckles in a show of great coordination and slight-of-hand. If I hadn't known what Toph was able to do, I would've urged her to stop now.

"More interesting?" Toph asked, again using an innocent tone. "How?"

"Well, let's say you toss in your friend's fine sword there, then I'll put in twenty silver pieces against it. And that's more interesting." I raised a displeased eyebrow at the man's decision to wager the one-of-a-kind sword Sokka owned. I was less than thrilled when Toph took the sword from Sokka's hands and placed it on the table.

"I'll do it for forty silver pieces," she answered and Sokka's jaw dropped.

"Forty silver pieces it is," the dealer answered, dropping more coins into the bag. He moved the cups around rapidly and I quickly lost track of where the pebble might have been, if it was even under the same cup as before. When the cups stopped, Toph pointed to the middle one. "Sorry, little lady, but-" A perplexed expression came across his features when he saw a pebble underneath the cup he'd lifted.

"I won!" Toph exclaimed and grabbed the money while Sokka took his sword. The four of us ran away from the table quickly and back into town to buy more supplies.

"That was great, Toph," I congratulated as we began walking back towards our camp. "But, next time, you shouldn't wager Sokka's sword."

"I knew where the pebble was, so it's not like it was a big deal."

"I'm just saying you shouldn't use other people's things to make a bet. I don't care that you scammed a con-man. In fact, I wish you could've seen his face when he realized the rock was still there." The four of us burst into laughter and dropped our baskets on the ground near Katara, who was cooking some kind of soup over the campfire.

"Where did you guys get the money to buy all this stuff?" she asked.

"Toph got us money," Aang answered as he and the young Earthbender bit into some apples. "She scammed one of those guys in town who moves the shells around all sneaky-like." Katara frowned disapprovingly.

"She used Earthbending to win the game. Classic," Sokka added.

"Ah, so she cheated," Katara supplies, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hey, I only cheated because he was cheating," Toph defended. "I cheated a cheater. What's wrong with that?"

"I'm just saying, this isn't something we should make a habit of doing."

"Why? Because it's fun, and you hate fun?"

"I don't hate fun!" Katara took Momo and placed him on top of her head. "See? Fun." Momo slid off her head and chattered unhappily while I just gave her a confused look. How was that supposed to translate into fun-loving?

"Katara," Aang said as he stood. "I'll personally make you an Avatar Half promise that we won't make a habit of doing these scams."

"What about you, Kala?" Katara asked.

"My word as Half the Avatar doesn't mean anything if I don't know the gravity of it. I can promise you I won't scam people, if that's what you want to hear, but I'm not making an oath on my title," I answered with a shrug.

* * *

The next day, Aang, Toph and Sokka went into town again, while I stayed back at camp with Katara. I wanted to get some more training in while we were in one area, so I opted for my Firebending. I'd only learned the basics from Iroh, but I still remembered much of the movements. Katara was watching nearby as I started slowly, punching and kicking the air without releasing any fire. I kept my breaths deep and even. My movements became quicker as I went on, repeating the same stances over and over again. I leapt into the air to do a flip, as I'd seen Zuko do so many times, but my landing was wrong and I fell over.

"Are you trying to Firebend?" Katara asked as I picked myself up off the ground.

"I need to learn it. I only know some of the basics, from being taught by Zuko's uncle, Iroh. There are always two places I mess up with these stances. If it's not one, it's the other." I took a seat beside her with a sigh. "It's a little frustrating, because I need to figure this stuff out before the invasion."

"If you think about it, though, you wouldn't be able to use Firebending during the solar eclipse. It would be pointless."

"Maybe, but I still want to learn it."

"Why? The Firebenders have been nothing but trouble."

"That's not true, Katara. Iroh was nothing but kind to me the entire time I was living in the palace and with him. He's probably sitting in a prison right now, at best," I muttered and stood again to continue my exercises, effectively putting an end to the conversation. Sometime later, Aang, Toph and Sokka returned with more money and food, obviously from scamming more people.

"Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough," Katara said to them. "If you keep doing them, something bad is gonna happen."

"Could you, for once, stop being such a sourpuss and just lighten up?" Toph asked in an exasperated tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You think I should be more like _you_? Like some wild child?"

"Yeah! Maybe! Maybe then you'd see how great we have it. I mean, look at us! We're traveling around the world, making easy money, having fun with _no_ parents to tell us what to do." I sighed heavily, knowing this was bound to end badly, and stopped practicing my stances. I took a seat near the group and waited to see what new war would break out.

"Ah, I see. You're acting like this because of your parents," Katara inferred.

"Whatever," Toph muttered.

"They were controlling over you, so you ran away and now you act like your parents don't exist. You act like you hate them, but you don't. You just feel guilty."

"I _do_ hate them."

"I don't think so. I think you miss them, but you just don't want to deal with that. So, instead, you act like this crazy person." Toph scowled and stood abruptly.

"Look, I ran away to help Aang!"

"You know what? It doesn't matter! These scams put us all at risk and we don't need that. We've already got some third-eyed freak after us!"

"Speaking of that third-eyed freak," Sokka interjected. "I think I've come up with a name for him. What do you think of Sparky Sparky Boom Man?" There was silence. "Just think about it." I frowned slightly in thought over the name. It seemed a bit to whimsical to capture the truly terrifying power the assassin had demonstrated.

"We have enough money! You need to stop this!" Katara yelled, completely ignoring Sokka.

"I'll stop when I wanna stop, and not when you tell me!" Toph yelled back, using her Earthbending to knock a bag of coins into her hands. She stormed off and built a rock tent around herself.

"Speaking of money," Sokka began again. "I'm off to spend some. See you guys later."

"Kala, come on. Let's go practice your Waterbending," Katara suggested as her brother walked away, though she sounded more demanding than offering. I cocked an eyebrow at her tone.

"Not when you speak to me like that," I answered firmly.

"What?"

"You're not my teacher. In fact, I'm older than you are. You don't get to decide what I do and when, especially when it comes to _my_ training."

"I'm trying to help you and Aang prepare for the invasion."

"I understand that, but you don't need to speak to me like I'm a child," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest. Katara huffed and walked away, leaving to train on her own. Aang followed after her, likely to try and calm her down. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and watched as, a few minutes later, Toph came out from her rock tent.

"Sounds like you're getting just as sick of her as I am," she commented as she came to sit beside me. I gave a wry laugh and leaned forward with my elbows on my knees.

"I'm not sick of her, so much, as I'm sick of people trying to run my life."

"I hear you, there. It was always: Toph, do this. Toph, sit like a lady."

"Kala, don't do that. You mustn't speak, Kala."

"Don't have an opinion," we both muttered in unison and started laughing.

"Sounds like we were basically in the same boat," Toph commented as she began sorting her money from the bag.

"Same rules, different social statuses," I added. "After living like that for so long, I want to figure out who _I_ am, now. You were able to do that, from what Aang has told me about you sneaking away from your family. I couldn't, and I was always bound to that 'servant' role. Now that I'm not, I can decide who I want to be and what I want to do. It feels pretty good."

"No kidding." A few minutes later, Sokka came back from his trip into town with a messenger hawk on his shoulder and a piece of paper in his hand.

"Toph, Kala, when I was in town, I found something that you're not gonna like," he said and unraveled the paper. It was a wanted poster with a badly-drawn picture of Toph.

"Well, it _sounds_ like a sheet of paper, but I guess you're referring to what's _on_ the sheet of paper," Toph commented. I took the paper from Sokka's hands and skimmed through it.

"It's a wanted poster for you," I told her. "They've nicknamed you 'The Runaway' and it's for all the scamming that you have been doing."

"A wanted poster! That's so great! The Runaway. I _love_ my new nickname! Is there a picture of me? Does it look good?" Sokka took the poster back and looked it over.

"Well, yeah, actually. It does look pretty good," he admitted. "But, Toph, you're missing the point! Maybe Katara was right. These scams are drawing too much attention to us."

"Don't be such a worry-wart, like your sister," Toph said as she stood. "Think of it this way. Now you have plenty of money to help with the invasion plan." She waved the bag of money in front of Sokka as a temptation.

"Well, that _is_ true. I had this idea of making armor for Appa." I looked to the Flying Bison curiously.

"That actually sounds like a pretty good idea," I murmured. Toph handed some gold pieces to Sokka.

"Here's a little extra, so you can get yourself a nice map of the Fire Nation," she said and then held the bag up to his face. "You know what? Make it an atlas."

"I _do_ like expensive atlases," Sokka said as he took the bag of money.

"Of course you do. And that's why this wanted poster is going to stay our little secret."

"Just be careful until we leave this town, Toph. I don't want anything happening to you," I said carefully as she walked off, tucking the wanted poster into the outer layer of her shirt. Katara and Aang returned moments later, Katara placing her hands on her hips.

"Sokka, tell me you didn't buy a bird," she said, using that reprimanding tone she'd taken on all day.

"Not just a bird," he answered. "A messenger bird. Now we can send messages all over the world, even to Gran Gran."

"Wow! How does it work?" Aang asked.

"Hmmm… Uh… I never actually thought about that." He turned to the bird. "Hawky, Gran Gran. South Pole." The bird chirped and ruffled its feathers. "I think he gets it." I shook my head slowly as Momo leapt forward and attacked the messenger hawk, causing Sokka to yell at them.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Katara was cooking stew again while I practiced my Waterbending. Sokka and Toph came back to camp, each carrying a large sack, likely filled with either money or supplies. I watched them near us with a mental shrug and continued my bending. I figured they'd been careful, since they'd come back without anyone following them.

"Well, look who's decided to join us," Katara said disapprovingly as she stood and rested her hands on her shoulders. "Where have you two been? Off scamming again?"

"Yes, we were," Toph answered.

"And I suppose you don't think what you're doing is dangerous at all?"

"No, I don't."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Toph was sounding more annoyed with each answer she gave.

"Well, then, what's _this_?" Katara demanded as she held out the wanted poster Sokka had brought earlier. I dropped the water I'd been bending and my jaw fell open. She'd gone through Toph's personal belongings?

"I don't know! I mean, seriously, what's with you people? I'm blind!"

"It's a wanted poster of you! The Runaway! Is that what you're called now? Are you proud of this?"

"Where did you get that?" Toph demanded.

"It doesn't matter where I got it. The fact is-"

"You went through my stuff! You had no right!"

"Your stuff was messy, and I was just straightening up, and I happened to stumble across it!" Katara yelled defensively.

"That's a lie! You're lying, Katara!" Toph yelled, pointing an accusing finger in Katara's face.

"Fine! It's a lie! But you've been so out of control lately, I _knew_ something was up! I knew you were hiding something, and you were!" Toph knocked the wanted poster out of Katara's hand and began walking off. "Don't you walk away when I'm talking to you!"

"Oh really, _Mom_? What are you going to do, send me to my room?"

"I wish I could," Katara yelled.

"Well, you can't! Because you're not my mom, and you're not _their_ mom!" She pointed to Aang, Sokka and me.

"I never said I was!"

"No, but you certainly act like it! You think it's your job to boss everyone around, but it's not! You're just a regular kid like the rest of us, so stop acting like you can tell me what to do! I can do whatever I want!" Toph exclaimed angrily.

"I don't act that way," Katara said defensively and turned to us. "Sokka, do I act motherly?"

"Hey, I'm staying out of this one," he answered, putting his hands up.

"What do you think, Aang? Do I act like a mom?"

Aang rubbed his eye. "Well, I-" he began.

"Stop rubbing your eye and speak clearly when you talk!" Katara ordered.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, you _do_ act like a mother," I answered firmly. "Is that clear enough for you?" Katara stared at me in disbelief.

"I can't be around you right now!" Toph yelled to Katara and started walking off. I followed after her, my fists clenched at my side.

"Well, I can't be around you!" Katara yelled back and crossed her arms with a huff. I sat with Toph on one side of the cliff, while Katara was on the other. I sighed heavily where I sat and leaned back onto my hands.

"I know she means well, but she doesn't exactly go about the best way of doing it," I muttered as the sun was beginning to set. I turned around to see Sokka's messenger hawk fly over to Katara with a note.

"I know this is from you, Sokka! Toph can't write! Ugh! You're all driving me crazy!" she yelled as she ripped up the note. A few moments later, Sokka approached the two of us.

"Come on," he said. "We need to talk." Sokka led Toph and me to another part of the cliffs, looking over a beautiful waterfall. We took a seat on the ledge with our feet dangling down.

"So, let me guess," Toph said. "You brought us out here to tell us your sister's _not_ as annoying as I make her out to be."

"Nah, she's pretty much a pain," Sokka answered and I chuckled softly. "She's always gotta be right about everything, and she gets all bossy, and involved, and in your business."

"Yeah, I don't know how you can deal with it."

"I don't really care about that," I murmured. "It's when she starts trying to take away the freedom I've only recently gained. That's when the problems come."

"Actually, in a way, I kind of rely on her acting the way she does," Sokka answered.

"I don't understand," Toph said.

"When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess, but Katara, she had so much strength. She stepped up and took on so much responsibility. She helped fill the void that was left by our mom."

"I guess I never thought about that."

"I'm gonna tell you guys something crazy. I've never told anyone this before. But, honestly, I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's _there_. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture. Kala, I don't think Katara realizes how little freedom you must have had until now. I can't even imagine it. I'm sure if you just explained it to her, she'd understand."

"Maybe," I murmured. "But I've always had to keep my feelings in check. Now that I don't have to, I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to express myself. I may be sixteen, but I have little experience talking about how I really feel. I'm not even sure _how_ I really feel all the time, from being so used to holding it back. It'll just take some time before I get it all down."

"The truth is: sometimes Katara _does_ act motherly, but that's not always a bad thing. She's compassionate, and kind, and she actually cares about me. You know, the real me. That's more than my own mom," Toph murmured as she rubbed a tear from her eyes. She then punched Sokka's shoulder. "Don't ever tell her I said any of it!"

"Hey, my lips are sealed," Sokka said, rubbing his arm. As the sun finished setting, we returned back to the camp, where Katara was waiting. When she was us coming, she quickly approached.

"Hi Toph and Kala," she greeted and Sokka walked by to leave us alone. "I wanna-"

"Katara, stop," Toph said. "You don't need to apologize. I was the one being stupid. These scams are out of control and I'm done with them."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did, and I'm sorry," I added.

"Actually, I wasn't going to apologize about the scams. I wanna pull one with you," Katara answered.

"That's all you," I said and walked by, watching as Sokka and Aang's faces changed to expressions of pure shock.

"What? You wanna pull a scam?" Toph asked incredulously and I chuckled lightly. It looked like the two of them were going to make up.

* * *

The next day, Katara and Toph left the campsite to go into town and pull of their scam. I'd overheard them talking about the wanted poster and turning Toph in to collect the money, just for her to Metalbend her way out of jail. It sounded good in theory. I could only hope things didn't go badly, as this was such a high-risk situation. I sat with Sokka at the campsite, watching as Aang paced back and forth nervously.

"Do you think this scam of theirs should be taking _this_ long?" he asked.

"I was just wondering the same thing. We'd better check it out," Sokka answered and stood, setting Hawky next to Momo. "You two behave. Appa's in charge." Aang, Sokka and I left our camp to look for Katara and Toph in town.

"Where do you think they might be?" I asked as we walked through the empty streets. Actually, it was quite odd that all the people were missing. What was going on?

"Where do you think anyone is?" Aang asked. He suddenly grabbed Sokka and me, pulling us behind the statue of Fire Lord Ozai as an explosion hit the ground where we were standing just seconds before. "It's Sparky Sparky Boom Man!"

"You know, I'm starting to think that name doesn't quite fit," Sokka answered as he rubbed his head. The assassin jumped down from the building he was standing on and prepared to send another explosion at us.

"Who cares what we call him! Run!" I screamed and we sprinted across the main square of the town. The assassin continued to shoot explosions after us as we ducked behind a corner into an alley. We hid behind a tipped-over wheelbarrow to catch our breaths.

"This guy is too good," Sokka hissed. "He shoots fire from his _brain_!"

"We should split up," Aang suggested. "He can't chase all three of us."

Sokka and I ran to the right, while Aang took the left path. The wheelbarrow was destroyed just seconds later. It quickly became apparent that the assassin was after Aang when no fire followed Sokka and me. But why would someone hire the man to kill only one Half, but not the other? Sokka and I ran into Toph and Katara, much to my relief, and ran back towards the center of town. There, we found the assassin about to shoot Aang again. Katara used Waterbending on her sweat and froze an ice pillar around the man's head.

"Aang, get up!" she yelled and ran forward to pick the young Airbender off the ground. We ran past the assassin and through the alleys. Toph raised a boulder from the ground, which was hit by our attacker's ray of fire and blown to pieces. In the distraction caused by that explosion, we were able to get out of the assassin's sight.

"Hey, I got it!" Sokka exclaimed as we ran. "The perfect name for that guy: Combustion Man!"

"Good job, Sokka," Toph answered. "Now let's get out of here before Combustion Man catches us!"

"See? It fits so well!" We made it back to where Appa, Momo and Hawky were, packed our things in a rush, and flew away from the town as quickly as possible. It didn't seem like we were being followed and we were able to let out a sigh of relief as the sun was setting on the horizon.

"Never again," I murmured and slumped back in Appa's saddle. After nightfall, we were able to land in a small area surrounded by rocks for protection to rest for the night.

"I'm exhausted," Sokka said with a yawn. "Hawky, how 'bout you, buddy?" The bird squawked at him. "Yeah, you're such a lazy little bird." He slid down Appa's side to the ground as Katara and I stood to get down as well.

"Katara, I need your help," Toph said, stopping us both.

"What is it, Toph?" Katara asked. The Earthbender held up a blank sheet of paper.

"I need you to write some things down for me. I want to send a letter to my parents." Katara smiled softly.

"I'll be happy to help." I grinned and got off of Appa to make my bed for the night, happy that everything had turned out alright after all. A few minutes later, I saw Katara and Toph let Hawky go with the letter Katara had written for Toph's parents.

"Hey, where'd Hawky go?" Sokka asked, staring up at the bird. I chuckled softly and lay down on my mat, ready for sleep to come.

* * *

**I personally enjoyed writing that bonding moment between Toph and Kala. Anyway, please R&R.**


	38. Chapter 37

**As I'm sure you can probably guess, I'm trying to crank out as many chapters as I can before my attention span peeters out on me. So, I've written another chapter today for you reading enjoyment. This one takes place during 'The Puppetmaster', and I had a lot of fun with it. The kind of explores a darker side to Kala than we've really been able to see before. Remember back when I had her asking who she was and she said she'd do anything to stop Ozai. Yeah...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and the other OCs I add into the mix.**

* * *

The Day of Black Sun, the day of Sokka's planned invasion, was fast approaching and we were all growing anxious about it. One evening, we stopped to set up camp in the middle a large forest. Around the campfire, we sat and listened to horror stories told by Sokka.

"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall in the dark," he continued in a voice that was meant to be mysterious and creepy. He made an eerie sound that resembled a ghost's wail. "It came into the torch-light. And they knew… The blade of Wang Fire was _haunted_!" There was no response from his audience: Aang, Toph, Katara Momo and myself.

"I think I liked the man with the sword for a hand better," Aang said lamely and I nodded with a yawn.

"Water Tribe slumber parties must stink," Toph commented.

"No, wait. I've got one," Katara answered. "And this is a true Southern Water Tribe story." I raised an eyebrow and looked at her expectantly. Sokka plopped down from where he was standing and looked skeptically at his sister.

"Is this one of those 'a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happen to' stories?" he asked.

"No. It happened to Mom." This stole everyone's attention and we all sat up to listen closely. "One winter, when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later, Mom realized she hadn't seen her friend Nini since the storm. So Mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home, just a fire flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, Mom stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice. 'It's so cold, and I can't get warm.' Mom turned and saw Nini standing by the fire. She was blue, like she was frozen. Mom ran outside for help, but when everyone came back, Nini was gone."

By this point, Aang was hiding behind Momo's ears and Sokka had hidden behind a large tree root. Toph and I were sitting next to each other, having not moved since the story began. I'd noticed the girl tense every so often as Katara spoke, but she didn't seem to be frightened like the others. After what I'd seen as a child, freezing didn't necessarily sound like a bad way to go.

"Where'd she go?" Sokka asked apprehensively.

"No one knows. Nini's house stands empty to this day, but sometimes people see smoke coming up from the chimney, like little Nini is still trying to get warm," Katara finished, her voice still sounding very somber. For a moment, I wondered if there was actually truth to this story, or if she'd come up with it on her own. In the silence that followed, Toph suddenly gasped and placed one hand on the ground.

"Wait, guys! Did you hear that?" she asked. "I feel people _under_ the mountain." Aang, Sokka and Katara all huddled together in fear. "And they're screaming!" At this, Sokka broke away from the huddle and scoffed.

"Nice try," he said.

"No, I'm serious. I hear something."

"You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories," Katara said.

"It just stopped."

"Alright, now I'm getting scared," Aang whispered, still holding onto Katara for dear life.

"Hello, children," an old woman's voice said, causing all of us but Toph to scream loudly. The others ran across the fire to stand with Toph and me while the old woman came into the light. "Sorry to frighten you. My name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby. Why don't you come back there for some spice tea and warm beds?"

"Yes please," Sokka answered, his voice a couple octaves higher than normal. Hama turned and led us to a nearby town, where her inn was located at the top of a hill. Once inside, she poured tea for all of us as we sat at her kitchen table. It almost reminded me of my day with Granny Hwei, back in Ba Sing Se.

"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight," Katara said.

"Yes, thank you," I added with a smile. "Your inn in very nice."

"Aren't you two sweet?" Hama answered. "You know, you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

"What do you mean disappearing?" Sokka asked.

"When the moon turns full, people walk in, and they don't come out," she said solemnly. "Who wants more tea?" We all stared at her with concerned eyes. "Don't worry. You'll all be completely safe here. Why don't I show you to your rooms and you can get a good night's rest?"

Hama led us to the rooms we would be staying in for the night and I found my room to be quite cozy. The only thing that bothered me was the creaking wood. It sounded like there was someone walking through the room, or around it. The idea of that reminded me of my time in the palace, where guards were constantly pacing the hallways. The thought both soothed and unnerved me in a way I wasn't sure I understood. Sure, the idea of guards walking around was comforting in the sense that I could feel protected, but it also gave me the feeling of being trapped as a servant again. Shaking my head, I quickly went to bed and forced such thoughts from my mind.

* * *

The next morning, Hama woke us all up to go shopping in town. I was looking forward to it, knowing we needed to gather more supplies for the invasion. It wasn't long before all of us were walking around with baskets in our hands full with various fruits and vegetables. As Katara, Hama and I walked away from a vendor, we noticed that the man was watching Hama.

"That Mr. Yao seems to really like you," I commented.

"Maybe we should go back and see if he'll give us some free komodo sausages," Katara suggested.

"You would have me use my feminine charms to take advantage of that poor man?" Hama asked, sounding as though she couldn't believe her ears. "I think we are going to get along swimmingly." As we passed by a shop, we heard a couple of men talking about the disappearances during the full moon.

"That's odd, how people keep disappearing," I murmured.

"It really is sad… Why don't you all take those things back to the inn? I just have to run a couple more errands. I'll be back in a little while." Sokka stepped forward, his face giving the expression that he wanted to play detective.

"This is a mysterious little town you have here," he said.

"Mysterious town for mysterious children." With that, Hama turned and walked away, leaving the rest of us to return to the inn with all the supplies.

"That Hama seems a little strange, like she knows something," Sokka murmured as he set the supplies he'd carried onto the table. "Or she's hiding something."

"That's ridiculous," Katara answered. "She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay."

"You're too mistrusting, Sokka," I added with a slight frown.

"_I'm_ mistrusting? You should be just as cautious of her, Kala, all things considered. Besides, what'd she mean by that comment 'Mysterious town for mysterious children'?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she found four strange kids camping in the woods at night," Katara retorted. "Isn't that a little mysterious?"

"I'm gonna take a look around." Sokka left the kitchen and began exploring other parts of the inn, Katara yelling after him as we all followed to see what exactly he was up to.

"You can't just snoop around someone's house!"

"It'll be fine."

"She could be home any minute," Aang tried to reason as Sokka continued to open doors around the inn.

"Sokka, you're gonna get us _all _in trouble, and this is just plain rude," Katara scolded. Sokka opened a pair of double doors to a closet and what looked to be a half a dozen puppets fell forward. He yelled out and pulled out his sword, like he'd thought they were actual people about to attack him. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"O-okay, that's pretty creepy," Aang conceded. Katara shut the closet doors and tried to reason with him.

"So, she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that," she said, looking uneasy. Sokka began walking off towards the attic. "Sokka, you've looked enough. Hama will be back soon." It was too late, and her older brother was already upstairs.

"Just an ordinary, puppet-loving innkeeper, huh? Then why does she have a locked door up here?" he demanded.

"Probably to keep people from looking through her belongings," I answered. "Sokka, if I'd had the opportunity as a child, I would have kept some of my things locked up so they would be out of the hands of the royal guards.

"We'll see." Sokka peered through the key hole of the door. "It's empty except for a little chest."

"Maybe it's treasure!" Toph said excitedly. Sokka pulled out his sword again and began picking the lock, Katara scolding him all the while. After a moment, the door opened and we all entered the previously locked room. While I wasn't fond of Sokka's investigation methods, I had to admit I was curious as to what was so important that it had to be locked in the highest room of Hama's home.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Aang said as he walked in with us. Sokka picked up the little chest and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Maybe there's a key here somewhere," he said.

"Oh! Hand it over," Toph requested, taking the box from Sokka's hand. She bent the armlet she wore to create a key to open the chest. After a few moments, the lock clicked open and the others huddled around the chest, as though they couldn't wait to see what was in it.

"I'll tell you what's in the box," Hama's elderly voice said from behind, causing us all to yell out in surprise. After composing himself, Sokka handed over the box with the same guilty expression we all wore. Hama reached in and took out a little blue comb.

"An old comb?" Sokka asked, as though he were expecting something more.

"It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe."

The expressions on Sokka's, Katara's and my face all must have looked remarkably similar as we stared at the old woman in awe. To think, we had found another woman from the Southern Water Tribe living in the Fire Nation. She was like me! My heart pounded in excitement at all I could learn from her, all the stories she must have had.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara asked incredulously.

"Just like you."

"How did you know?"

"I heard you talking around your campfire."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Sokka asked.

"I wanted to surprise you. I bought all this food so I could fix you a big Water Tribe dinner. Of course, I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but Ocean Kumquats are a lot like Sea Prunes if you stew them long enough," Hama explained, and Aang's face turned to one of disgust at the thought of eating something similar to Sea Prunes.

"I knew I felt a bond with you right away," Katara said excitedly. I nodded quickly in agreement.

"And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right," Sokka added and I couldn't help but chuckle. He earned a punch in the shoulder from his sister. "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around."

"Apology accepted. Now, let's get cooking," Hama said and began leading the way back down to the kitchen. That evening we all sat around the table for dinner, and I overheard Aang telling Toph to steer clear of the Ocean Kumquats.

"This is delicious," I said with a grin as I took a bite from my food. It had been so many years since I'd eaten food prepared like in the Southern Water Tribe. It actually reminded me of my mother.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, Kala. Now, who wants five-flavored soup?" All hands raised and Hama used Waterbending to distribute the soup evenly to everyone. Katara's face lit up, as did mine.

"You're a Waterbender too?" I asked excitedly. "Aside from Katara, I've never met another Waterbender from our tribe."

"That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out," Hama answered sadly and a shiver went up my spine. I could still remember the day I'd been taken from my home, because the Fire Nation soldiers had been sent to search for, and destroy, a Waterbender. "I was the last one."

"So how did you end up out here?" Sokka asked. The look in Hama's eyes told me everything. She really _was_ just like me. She was taken from the Southern Water Tribe and held prisoner.

"I was stolen from my home," she verbalized for the others' sakes and then began to tell her story. "It was over sixty years ago when the raids started." She told us of how the Fire Nation soldiers came to the Water Tribe and began attacking. They came multiple times, taking more and more Waterbenders with them each time they came. Some were captured, others killed. Eventually, Hama was the only one left, and she was taken to a prison in the Fire Nation. "I was the only one who managed to escape."

"How did you get away? And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?" Hama's voice broke as she spoke again.

"I'm sorry. It's too painful to talk about anymore."

"We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid," Katara answered.

"And in that same raid, I was taken just as you were," I continued, earning a sympathetic look from the older woman. "I was held in an extravagant prison, but it was a prison nonetheless."

"You poor things," Hama murmured.

"I think I speak for Katara and I both when I say it's an honor to meet you. You're a hero."

"I never thought I'd meet another Southern Waterbender, let alone two. I'd like to teach you both what I know so you can carry on the Southern tradition when I'm gone.

"Yes! Yes, of course," Katara answered. "To learn about our heritage… it would mean everything."

* * *

The next morning, Hama took Katara and me outside for a walk through the countryside. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining and the air was warm, just as I had grown used to in all my years living in the Fire Nation Palace.

"Growing up at the South Pole, Waterbenders are totally at home surrounded by snow and ice and seas. But as you've probably noticed on your travels, that isn't the case wherever you go," Hama explained.

"I know," Katara said. "When we were stranded in the desert, I felt like there was almost nothing I could do."

"That's why you have to learn to control water wherever it exists."

"I've even used my own sweat for Waterbending."

"And growing up in the Fire Nation Palace as a servant, I taught myself my Waterbending in secrecy," I added with a smile. "I first learned from the turtle-duck pond, but later began taking water from other sources.

"That's very resourceful, girls. You're both thinking like true masters, but did you know you can even pull water out of thin air?" Hama waved her arm around for a moment, collecting water from the moisture in the air onto her fingertips and turning them into icicles. "You've got to keep an open mind. There's water in places you never think about." She flung the icicles at a tree, where they planted firmly into the wood.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "It comes from the humidity here in the Fire Nation!"

"That's right, Kala. Now, follow me. I have much more to teach the both of you." Katara and I followed Hama farther into the countryside, into a field filled with Fire Lilies. They were beautiful, vibrant red flowers.

"These flowers are beautiful," Katara commented.

"They're Fire Lilies. They only bloom a few weeks a year, and they're my favorite kind of flower," I answered. I could still remember when I was little and Zuko had given me a pressed Fire Lily for my birthday. He'd picked it when they were in bloom and preserved it in a glass frame for me. That was when Fire Lilies had become my favorite flower. Tears clouded my eyes and I shook my head quickly to rid myself of the memory. I didn't need to be thinking of Zuko, not now.

"That's right, Kala. And like all plants, like all living things, they're filled with water," Hama said.

"I met a Waterbender who lived in a swamp and could control the vines by bending the water inside," Katara added.

"You can take it even further." Hama withdrew all the water from the flowers in a ten foot radius and used it to slice through a nearby rock. It was an amazing show, but left the flowers entirely wilted.

"That was incredible! It's a shame about the lilies, though."

"They're just flowers. When you're a Waterbender in a strange land, you do what you must to survive. Tonight, I will teach you both the ultimate technique of Waterbending. It can only be done during the full moon, when your bending is at its peak."

"But, isn't that dangerous? I thought people have been disappearing around here during the full moon."

"Oh, Katara. Three master Waterbenders beneath a full moon? I don't think we have anything to worry about," Hama answered easily and began walking back towards the town, through the forest. Katara and I followed after her, I with a large grin on my features. It was so great to be learning from a woman who had been in a very similar situation as mine. That night, the moon was full and the three of us were walking through the forest, up on the mountain where Hama had first found us.

"It's a beautiful night," I murmured.

"Can you feel the power the full moon brings?" Hama asked. I looked up at the moon and could only see Yue's face. Hama took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter. "For generations it has blessed Waterbenders with its glow, allowing us to do incredible things. I've never felt more alive."

"Hama, I want to thank you again for teaching us. Everything we've learned will be of great value against Fire Lord Ozai." There was silence between the three of us for a few moments.

"What I'm about to show you, I discovered in that wretched Fire Nation prison. The guards were always careful to keep any water away from us. They piped in dry air and had us suspended away from the ground. Before giving us any water, they would bind our hands and feet so we couldn't bend. Any sign of trouble was met with cruel retribution. And yet each month I felt the full moon enriching me with its energy. There had to be something I could do to escape. Then, I realized that where there is life, there is water. The rats that scurried across the floor of my cage were nothing more than skins filled with liquid, and I passed years developing this skill that would lead to my escape: Bloodbending, controlling the water in another body, enforcing your own will over theirs.

"Once I had mastered the rats, I was ready for the men. And during the next full moon, I walked free for the first time in decades, my cell unlocked by the very guards assigned to keep me in. Once you perfect this technique, you can control _anything_, or anyone."

"But, to reach inside someone and control them? I-I don't know if I want that kind of power," Katara said. I turned a hard stare to her.

"Do what you want, but I'm learning from Hama," I answered. Katara stared at me in shock.

"Kala, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I want to win this war. I want to make Ozai pay for everything he has done to me, and to those I care about. I will defeat him at any cost!"

"You're crazy! This is wrong, Kala!"

"The choice is not yours," Hama interrupted. "The power exists, and it's your duty to use the gifts you've been given to win this war. Katara, they tried to wipe us out, our entire culture, your mother!"

"I know."

"Then you should understand what we're talking about! We're the last Waterbenders of the Southern Tribe. We have to fight these people whenever we can, wherever they are with any means necessary!" Katara's eyes suddenly widened with a realization.

"It's you!" she gasped. "You're the one who's making people disappear during the full moon!" My own eyes widened, but while I believed what Hama was doing to the villagers was wrong, I still had the desire to learn how to Bloodbend. Ozai was different from the villagers. He _deserved_ everything I could possibly learn to throw at him.

"They threw me in prison to rot, along with my brothers and sisters. They deserve the same! You must carry on my work."

"I won't! I won't use Bloodbending!" Katara yelled.

"And I won't allow you to keep harming the innocent lives of this town!" I added. Hama's gaze hardened even more and my body, as well as Katara's, moved of its own accord.

"You should have learned the technique before you turned against me," Hama told us in a cruel voice as she continued to manipulate our bodies. I could feel the water in my body moving, could feel how she was controlling me. If I could just break free from her grasp and imitate what I felt, I would be able to use this power. "It's impossible to fight your way out of my grip. I control every muscle, every vein in your body." We were both thrown around before being brought to our knees against our own will. As Hama continued to control me, I tried to bend the water in my own body against her will in an attempt to free myself.

"Stop, please," Katara cried and Hama simply chuckled wickedly. With a deep breath, I pushed once more with my Waterbending and finally broke free, seemingly at the same moment Katara had figured out how to do the same. She raised water from the grass beneath her while I pulled it from the moisture in the air

"You're not the only one who draws power from the moon," I said in a low voice. "Our bending is more powerful than yours, Hama."

"Your technique is useless on us!" A battle began with water from Katara and I being thrown at Hama, only for her to redirect it with more of her own. We drew from the plants around us, as well as the air, and Hama seemed shocked when Katara was able to knock her down. At that moment, Sokka and Aang appeared.

"We know what you've been doing, Hama!" Sokka yelled.

"Give up! You're outnumbered!" Aang added, raising his hands to fight with his Airbending.

"No," Hama said as she stood. "You've outnumbered yourselves." She began Bloodbending Aang and Sokka, throwing them both at Katara and me. We dodged easily and continued the battle with water.

"Katara, Kala, look out!" Sokka yelled as his body was pulled upright and unsheathed his sword. He began swinging at Katara. "It's like my brain has a mind of its own! Stop it, arm! Stop it!" Aang's body tried to attack me as well, but I quickly pinned him to the nearest tree with ice. Katara did the same with Sokka.

"Don't hurt your friends, girls!" Hama taunted. "And don't let them hurt each other." She pulled both boys free of their ice restraints, with Sokka's sword pointed at Aang as they flew through the air.

"That's enough!" I yelled, and put my hands out in the same manner I'd seen Hama do.

Both Aang and Sokka were under my control as I stopped them from colliding and pulled them away from each other. Hama began twitching as though she were under control. I glanced at Katara and realized she had stopped the old woman. The younger Waterbender looked sad as she used the technique, bringing Hama to her knees. I released my hold on the boys and placed it upon Hama, allowing Katara to stop using the technique that I could tell she hated. At that moment, Toph appeared with a number of villagers who looked like they had all been held captive.

Hama was put in chains and only then did I release her from my grip. One of the men said that Hama would be locked away for the rest of her life, but that didn't seem to bother the old woman. I doubted it would. She'd accomplished what she'd wanted: teaching Bloodbending to Katara and me. As she was taken away, she glanced over her shoulder.

"Congratulations, girls. You are Bloodbenders," the old woman hissed before being pulled away by the villagers.

Katara covered her mouth with her hand as tears flowed from her eyes. She fell to the ground sobbing with Sokka and Aang beside her. I stood tall and watched the woman leave. Watching Hama being taken away in handcuffs, I was still happy to have learned from her. She'd taught me the most powerful Waterbending technique, and I would be able to use it against Ozai. While I disagreed with her use of Bloodbending over the villagers, I was honored to have been taught by her.

"Kala, are you sure you're alright?" Sokka asked carefully, obviously thinking I was having the same feelings as his sister about Bloodbending. I nodded easily.

"I've never been better," I answered solemnly.

* * *

**I never said Kala had the same reasoning of right and wrong as all the other protagonists. Sure, they have the same goal in mind, but she's a little more willing to take the path Katara is afraid of. It's dark, yes, but it also provides Kala with a little more depth than if I'd just had her be a Katara copy. Now, that's not to say I dislike Katara for choosing to never want to Bloodbend again (even though she does... whatever). In fact, I think if I were to fully explore her character like I've done with characters from other series, I'd probably enjoy finding every little thing that would lead her to hate Bloodbending, simply because it makes her who she is. But, to make a carbon copy for an OC is just unoriginal, so I thought I'd make Kala a bit different with her morals. Hope you enjoyed.**

**Please R&R.**


	39. Chapter 38

**YEAH! I got another chapter written today, which means I'm _thisclose_ to finishing this story. Anyway, this is another breather chapter, taking place during "Nightmares and Daydreams". Getting close to the invasion, man. Good stuff. Hahaha. Oh, I'm losing my mind. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and any other OC I throw into the mix.**

* * *

It was four days prior to the Day of Black Sun when we arrived on a cliff overlooking the sea that would be the meeting place for all the warriors assembled to face the Fire Lord. It was the middle of the night, but we were finally where we were meant to be. There was a part of me that was nervous at the idea of fighting Ozai, but another, greater part that was excited. I wanted him to pay for all he had done to me and the people I loved. Was it wrong of me to want to kill Ozai? No... it couldn't have been. It was only natural, wasn't it?

"This is it," Sokka said as he looked closely at his map, "the official rendezvous point for the invasion force." I looked around and saw a number of Koala-Sheep sleeping in the grass.

"How did you pick this place?" Toph asked.

"Before we split up, my dad and I found this island on a map. It's uninhabited and the harbor surrounded by cliffs seemed like the perfect place."

"Nice choice, Sokka," Katara said as we began setting up camp. "And we're here four days ahead of schedule."

"Wait! Four days?" Aang repeated incredulously. "The invasion's in four days?"

"Yes," I answered calmly. "Four days until the Day of Black Sun. Haven't you been keeping track? I mean, think of how devastating it would be if we'd missed it. It's better to arrive early than too late." Sokka yawned as he rested on his sleeping bag.

"Whatever. That's, like, four days from now. Let's just calm down and-" He never finished his sentence because he was already asleep and snoring. I chuckled softly, suppressing a yawn of my own.

"I'm with him," I murmured as I curled up in my sleeping bag as well.

"Sokka's got the right idea. We're here, we're ready. The best thing we can do now is get plenty of rest," Katara said easily.

"I guess," Aang muttered, but I was already on my way into a dream-like state to be too concerned with quelling his fears.

* * *

The next morning, we awoke to find Aang punching a large tree repeatedly, to the point where leaves were falling from the branches. I stared at him curiously, rubbing my eyes as I awoke. Just what was he doing? Was he training to better prepare himself for the invasion? While I could admire his dedication, I wondered if he had spent the entire night training, which would only be a hindrance in the long run.

"Aang, how long have you been up?" I asked as I stood from my sleeping bag.

"A couple hours," Aang answered without turning away from his training. "I've got a lot more skills to refine if I'm gonna fight Ozai."

"You know, there is such a thing as overtraining," Katara reminded him. Aang ignored her and punched the tree again, this time sending shivers through his body before he collapsed to the ground. Something told me he'd been up for longer than a couple hours.

"You don't get it, do you?" he demanded when he stood. "My form is bad and I'm sloppy. And Kala still doesn't know any Firebending!"

"Because my teacher was thrown in prison," I retorted.

"That's okay, Aang," Sokka said from where he was lounging on the grass. "The eclipse will block all Firebending anyway. Kala doesn't need it. Plus, it's a stupid element." I frowned at his last comment, but decided to keep my annoyance to myself. I could understand Sokka's hatred towards fire, though I could see the beauty in it.

"Okay, well, I still have to work on everything else," Aang argue, moving his arms in an odd chopping manner. "I better spend the whole day training."

Before any of us could argue, he flew off on an orb of wind, leaving us to wonder what was going on with him. Aang was gone for the entire day and we ended up going to bed without him. When he finally returned, it was late and we were all too tired to question why he hadn't returned all day. At that point, I figured he was old enough to make his own decisions and if he wanted to train for the day, then so be it. Just as long as he was alert enough for the invasion, I was happy.

The following morning, we were all rudely awakened by Aang yelling at Sokka to know what day it was. A moment later, Sokka had burst up from where he was sleeping and ran into a rock-face, his sword uselessly poised for battle.

"Aang," I growled. "It's still two days until the invasion. Calm. Down." In response, Aang began pulling at Sokka's limbs.

"Sokka, you gotta get up and drill your rock-climbing exercises!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Sokka asked.

"In one of my dreams, you were running from Fire Nation soldiers, climbing this cliff. But you were too slow and they got you!"

"But that was just a dream. I'm a great climber."

"Then climb that cliff! Climb it fast!"

The cliff Aang had pointed to was tall and could almost be considered a mountain from where we were standing. Rather than try to argue, Sokka began climbing the cliff, muttering under his breath the whole way. I rolled my eyes in annoyance at how ridiculous the Airbender was being. I could understand nerves before the invasion, but he needed to be resolved if he wanted to win this war. I wasn't a great military warrior, but I'd fought at the North Pole, and along my travels. Surely Aang had done much of the same. He should have done more, because he was widely known as _the_ Avatar, instead of just a Half. So, why was he so upset?

I was snapped from my thoughts when Aang yelled at Toph for drinking water, proclaiming that in his dream we'd lost the battle because the blind girl had needed to go to the bathroom in the middle of the fighting. He then turned to Katara, telling her to wear her hair up because in his dream, her hair got caught in a train.

"Aang," Katara interrupted firmly, "I know you're just trying to help, but you really need to get a grip. You're unraveling." Aang took a deep breath and glanced around.

"You're right. I'm losing my mind," he said calmly.

Later in the day, while the rest of us were preparing for the invasion, Aang was pacing back and forth nervously.

"Aang, what's wrong?" I asked.

"It's like every time I think about how stressed I am, I just end up more stressed. I'm like a big, growing snowball of nerves."

"Of course you are," Sokka answered. "That 'cause you gotta fight the Fire Lord, the baddest man on the planet. And you better win or we're all done for."

"Sokka! You're not helping!" Katara reprimanded.

"If anything, you'll make _me_ nervous about the invasion," I added with a frown.

"You're not nervous?" Sokka asked. I glanced over at Aang to see him trembling and fidgeting even more than before, though I hadn't thought that was possible. When Katara took him away to do some yoga exercises, I turned back to Sokka to answer his question.

"A little, but not a whole lot. I guess maybe part of this just hasn't sunk in just yet."

"What do you mean, it hasn't sunk in? We're only days away from invading the Fire Nation Palace and fighting Ozai in a battle to the death."

"Maybe, but to be perfectly honest, I'm kind of excited to be facing him. He's done so many terrible things and he needs to be punished for them."

"Aren't you afraid of dying?" Toph asked.

"All my life, I'd been taught to think that my life was not worth anything. When I was traveling with Zuko and Iroh, they made me believe I really was worth something, especially after we found out I was a Half. Now their both gone, and I'm back where I started. The only difference is that now I can do something about it." Sokka stared at me incredulously, while Toph seemed to have a saddened expression on her face. I stared back with curiosity. Had I said something wrong?

* * *

That night, when we were all went to bed, Aang seemed to still be extremely nervous and stressed, although he said he was feeling better. After we had all fallen asleep, we were quickly awakened by the sound of the other Half screaming in terror at the top of his lungs. I heaved a sigh as I sat up and Katara asked him what was wrong.

"It's the nightmares. They keep getting worse and worse," he answered.

"Looks like it's time for another therapy session," Sokka suggested, donning the beard and mustache he'd worn when he'd pretended to be Aang's father.

"No! That won't help! Nothing helps! There's only one thing I can do! I'm gonna stay awake straight through to the invasion."

"Aang, that's a foolish decision," I warned him. "You're only going to exhaust yourself to the point of being useless in battle." Rather than heed my warning, Aang walked off to continue his 'training' in an attempt to stay up all night. I shook my head slowly and lay back on my mat. It was going to be a long day the next day, I could tell. For tomorrow, it would be my turn to try and alleviate Aang's worries.

* * *

In the morning, Aang's training was nothing more than disruptive as the rest of us made some last minute adjustments to the supplies we would be using for the invasion. Because of his sleep deprivation, Aang's aim was off and he was unable to focus. Only moments later, we found him talking to Momo in what sounded like Lemur chattering.

"Aang, we're all starting to get a little worried about you," Katara began carefully.

"You've been awake too long," Sokka continued.

"And you're acting downright weird," Toph finished. Aang sighed heavily.

"Look, I appreciate what you guys are saying, but the stress and the nightmares. They were just too much. Staying awake is the best way for me to deal with it." He suddenly grabbed the front of Sokka's shirt in a panic. "Sokka, what are we going to do?"

"About what?" Sokka asked.

"About that?" Aang pointed to Appa and Momo, who were lounging in the sun. Aang's eyes were glazed over and he was clearly having another one of his wild daydreams again. With a heavy sigh, I grabbed his shoulder and dragged him away from the others, towards the cliffs overlooking the sea.

"Aang, you need to calm down for a second. I want to have a little chat with you, Half to Half," I said sternly.

"But what about Appa and Momo? They're fighting and-"

"No, they're not, Aang. They're perfectly fine. You're hallucinating because you haven't been getting enough sleep."

"You guys keep saying that, but how can I possibly sleep? There's only one day until the invasion! I need to keep training, or I won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord!"

"I've seen what you're capable of, Aang. You're powerful and there is nothing left that you can learn in a matter of a day. You're prepared for this battle. Besides, you're not going to be alone when you go in there tomorrow. You aren't the only one going into the Royal Chambers to fight Ozai. I'll be right there with you."

"But-"

"Aang, if anyone should be afraid of Ozai, it's me. I've seen what he is capable of. He's tortured me as a child. But rather than feel fear, I feel angry, and I channel that anger into the drive I need to fight him. Try to think of it like that. What can Ozai do to you that makes you so fearful?"

"He could kill me! We could fail and he could take over the world! Kiyoshi told me about Sozin's Comet that will make the Firebenders incredibly powerful, where we won't be able to stop them! We have to defeat him before then, and tomorrow is our only shot!"

"Ozai couldn't even kill me. He sent his son on a mission to find and kill two halves of the same whole; you and me. I traveled with Zuko for years, but I'm still alive. Despite Ozai being known as the all-powerful Fire Lord, he couldn't even kill one servant girl. How could he possibly kill you, someone who's actually had the proper training?"

"Alright… but what if we fail tomorrow and he destroys the other nations?" Aang asked worriedly.

"You keep saying it like we'll be alone in the fight, but we won't. We're going to have Katara, Sokka, Toph, my father, Chief Hokoda, and everyone else that has ever helped you along your journey. You're lucky in that you were able to make a lot of friends through all this. Besides you guys, my only friends are in the Fire Nation."

"So, you're not nervous at all?"

"There's only one thing I'm worried about, one thing that's kept me up at night every once in a while since I joined you. I'm worried about Zuko and Iroh. I don't know where Iroh is, and I want to rescue him from his younger brother. And I don't want to hurt Zuko. I don't know if I'd be able to fight him, and I can only hope it doesn't come down to that," I answered softly.

"You're more worried about the guy that abandoned you than yourself?" Aang asked incredulously.

"Love makes you do crazy, stupid things. But enough about me. Is there anything else that's bothering you? I have all day to talk if you want to."

The rest of my day was spent with Aang, talking through his worries with him and reassuring him that he was entirely prepared for what the invasion might bring. There was no doubt in my mind that he could handle what we were all about to face. That night, when we returned to camp, we were all able to sleep peacefully for the final night before the Day of Black Sun.

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	40. Chapter 39

**Well, here we go. Invasion Day! I actually enjoyed writing the next chapter more than this one... mostly because the next chapter has some internalizing with Kala and about who she has become since she was last in this place. As it is, this chapter uses a lot of her knowledge _from_ her time in the Fire Nation to her advantange... By the by, I just finished writing the Ember Island Players chapter. Yeah, TEN PAGES LONG! I wasn't expecting that. But it was actually kinda fun to write, and it's a nice breather before the final four chapters (which correspond with each of the four finale episodes). So, looking at it, this story will end with an even fifty-one chapters, including the prologue at the beginning and the epilogue I plan to write. Anyway, I enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoy the first half of the invasion.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and my OCs.**

* * *

It was the day of the invasion, the Day of Black Sun. It was finally here. Part of me thought I was still dreaming, or that I had the days confused. But when I found Sokka poring over his maps, I knew it was the right day. I was… kind of excited. After all, this would be the day I could finally do something against Ozai for all the pain he'd caused me, all the pain he'd caused Zuko, and all he'd done to the world. As I approached Sokka to glance at the maps as well, Aang flew over the hill and landed near us, as bright as ever.

"Top of the morning, Momo!" he greeted his flying lemur.

"Sounds like you slept well," Katara commented.

"Like a baby moose-lion. I'm ready to face the Fire Lord."

"So what's your and Kala's strategy for taking him down?" Toph asked. "Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little True Avatar State action?"

"I can't," Aang answered. "When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe."

"I never unlocked the True Avatar State," I added, earning a surprised and confused expression from Katara. "My fifth chakra has remained locked since we met with Guru Pathik."

"You know what I just heard? Blah, blah spiritual mumbo-jumbo, blah, blah, something about space," Toph said.

"It means we can't 'get our glow on', as you put it." Katara turned toward the sea and followed her gaze to a large fog rolling in.

"Oh, no," she said. "Sokka, do you think the fog will delay the invasion?" Sokka stood and a grin formed on his features.

"No, that _is_ the invasion," he answered excitedly.

I felt a grin stretch across my lips, knowing my father would be on one of those boats. I was so happy to see him again, for the first time since the fall of Ba Sing Se. Aang and Toph quickly went down the cliff to make docks for the ships with their Earthbending while Katara, Sokka and I went down to greet the warriors. While Katara and Sokka ran to their father, I searched for my own. I quickly found him as he was stepping off Chief Hakoda's boat.

"Papa!" I exclaimed as I wrapped my arms around his torso. He held me tightly and rubbed my back gently, though I could feel him avoiding my scars.

"I'm happy to see you still well, Kala," he murmured, kissing the top of my head. I giggled like I haven't in years and grinned up at my father.

"I've learned so much in my time with Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph. And I've been teaching them a thing or two, myself."

* * *

As all the Water Tribe warriors and swampland allies Aang and the others met came into the bay, I found myself lost in a flurry of people I didn't recognize. But they were all friends of Aang and people Sokka trusted to help with the invasion. When he'd said a 'ragtag team of our friends and allies', I hadn't expected quite so many people. It almost saddened me to think I'd missed out on making so many connections with them. My time spent with Zuko was primarily chasing after Aang, not making friends.

My thoughts were suddenly cut off by an explosion from one of the ships and I ran over to investigate with Sokka, Chief Hakoda and Aang. When we neared the boat, a boy in some kind of chair with wheels came down the ramp, followed by an older man who was still coughing from the smoke.

"Was that a new invention?" Sokka asked the man.

"Yes! But unfortunately, incendiary capabilities of peanuts sauce prove to be a failure," he answered.

"You're making peanut sauce bombs?"

"They're destructive," a very tall, husky young man said.

"And delicious!" added the small boy on his shoulders. They were more people I didn't know, but was happy to have the chance to meet them now.

"Were you able to complete work on the plans I sent you?" Sokka asked the older man. I turned my attention away from them for a moment and to Aang.

"Who are they?" I asked in a whisper, hoping I wasn't sounding rude. Aang grinned in response and started pointing out his friends.

He started with the boy in the wheeled chair. "That's Teo, and his father is the Mechanist. The big guy is Pipsqueak, and the one on his shoulders is The Duke. The two of them were with Jet when we met them." I stiffened at the mention of Jet's name. I still remembered him from Ba Sing Se, and how I'd led him to be taken away by the Dai Li.

"Aang, my dad and I made this for you," Teo said as he pulled out a wooden rod from the side of his chair. Aang opened it up and revealed it to be a glider to replace the one he'd lost.

"A new glider! This is amazing!" he exclaimed.

"And as a special feature, I added a snack compartment," the Mechanist added with a grin. I chuckled as he demonstrated how it was used.

* * *

Shortly after, a meeting was called for all of our allies, where Sokka would relay to them the battle plan. I was seated with him, Chief Hakoda, Katara, Toph and Aang in front of our miniature army, and I heard Sokka gulp nervously as he stared at all the people gathered. I was a bit surprised, actually. I'd thought he'd be very confident explaining the plan, considering he was the mastermind behind it all. I was proven horribly wrong when he actually stepped up onto the speaking platform.

He'd begun by tripping and dropping all of his scrolls depicting the invasion plan. This quickly turned into rambling, stammering and near hyperventilation. When he chose to start at the beginning, meaning when her first met Aang, Chief Hakoda finally stepped in to take over. As Sokka walked over to sit back with us, his father took over the speaking.

"Let me just clarify a few points for everyone," he said in an authoritative tone. It was no wonder he was the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, I thought. "Today is the Day of Black Sun, and I want to thank you all for your self-sacrifice and your courage. There are two steps to the invasion: a naval stage and then a land stage. To gain sea access to the Fire Nation capital, we have to get past our first major obstacle here." He pointed to a spot on the map that I recognized easily. "The Great Gates of Azulon. Next, we hit the land and we hit hard. We must fight past the battlements and secure the plaza tower. Once we do that, it's up to the Royal Palace. At that point, the eclipse will begin."

"Excuse me," an Earthbender in the front row said as he lifted his hand. "The Boulder is confused. Isn't the point to invade _during_ the eclipse, when the Firebenders are powerless?"

I shook my head slowly. They didn't understand that an eclipse lasted for a very short period of time. I'd only seen lunar eclipses in the past, as they were more common than solar ones, and during those times my Waterbending would be all but useless… just like what happened with Zhao killed Tui. But those times never lasted very long, an hour at most. I doubted we had that much time for this solar eclipse.

"The eclipse only lasts eight minutes, not enough time for the whole invasion, and the Royal Palace is heavily guarded by Firebenders. So that's where we'll need the eclipse's advantage the most. Once this is finished, the two Avatar Halves will have defeated the Fire Lord. We will have control of the Fire Nation capital, and this war will be over!"

Cheers erupted from all of our allies, and I cried out in excitement as well. There was something about the idea of Aang and I joining together to defeat Ozai that made me incredibly happy. I understood it was wrong to wish ill upon someone, but when it came to that monster, I couldn't find it in myself to care. I wanted him gone.

* * *

Soon after, we were all preparing for the time of the invasion. Katara and I gathered water together, while others were donning their armor and preparing their weapons or transportation. Once we were ready, I found my father to give him one final hug before we invaded the capital. He reminded me to be careful, as only a father could, and I assured him all would be well and I would be going home with him once all this was over. The boats left shortly after.

I boarded Appa, along with Aang, and used my Waterbending for form an air pocket for the bison's head while we followed the ships from under the water. The travel was silent, for the most part, only the sounds of the current carrying to our ears.

"Are you still nervous?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, but I know we can defeat the Fire Lord. We can't be defeated again," Aang answered. I smiled softly and nodded in agreement. It wasn't long before the underwater ships Sokka had designed for the Mechanist to build were released from the ships. That meant the Great Gates of Azulon had been raised and we were going to swim under them.

Some time after we are past the gates, the submarines surface, and Aang and I follow them on Appa. When we emerge, we are told by the others that they needed to replenish their oxygen supply, as the submarines only have a limited amount of air. Aang and I go over to the top of the submarine Katara, Toph and Sokka are on to regroup with them.

"So, this is it, huh?" Aang asks.

"Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?" Sokka responds. I smile confidently. I'm more than happy to let Ozai know what he'd been keeping in chains for so long, only to free when he relinquished his son. It was the perfect irony, really.

"We're ready," Aang and I answered in unison. We were both pulled into a hug by our friends, and it wasn't the first time I realized I was completely welcomed by them.

"I hope you two kick some serious Fire Lord butt," Toph said and I could only chuckle in response.

"Everyone, listen up!" Chief Hakoda called out and we broke our group hug. "The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So stay alert and fight smart. Now break-time's over. Back in the subs!"

I left the group to return to Appa. Aang would be flying overhead on his glider. Unfortunately, the both of us couldn't fly on it without drawing too much suspicion from the Fire Nation soldiers. That was why I would be flying on Appa while they tried to get me as close to the palace as possible. I knew all the service entrances and could sneak in easily; I just needed to get close enough to make a difference. Katara soon joined me on Appa and we both created an air pocket around the bison's head again and submerged.

"Don't think I didn't see that," I murmured once we were under the water.

"What?" she asked quickly.

"Aang really cares about you, Katara. I'm happy for you. I just wish…"

"I know. I'm sorry, Kala."

I shook my head to clear the thoughts of Zuko. "No. It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is defeating Ozai. I can worry about the rest later."

The rest of the ride was silent, until we neared the beaches of the Fire Nation capital. Chain entrapments were thrown in our direction, but with Katara's navigating, we were able to avoid them and resurface in time to rescue one of the submarines about to be captured.

"Where do you want me to bring you?" Katara asked as we flew high above the capital.

"As close to the top of the dormant volcano as you can get me. The palace is within there, and that's where I told Aang to go." Katara flew as fast as Appa would take me, but soon received a signal that Appa was needed.

"Kala," she began.

"It's fine. Drop me off here. I can go through the base of the volcano. There are servant passages everywhere." We landed just briefly enough for me to slide off of Appa before Katara flew back to where the main battle was taking place. Where I was standing, it was still quiet. The explosions sounded distant, as though they weren't really anything to be concerned over. The war setting hadn't yet hit this place.

I quickly shook these thoughts from my head. I _was_ in a war setting and I needed to infiltrate the Fire Nation Palace. As I ran along the outer wall of the volcano, I couldn't believe I was actually here. When I'd left with Zuko, I'd never thought I'd come back to the Fire Nation, least of all to bring its downfall. Oh, how the times have changed, I thought.

It wasn't long before I found the entryway I was looking for and I uncovered the grip to open the door. I quickly slipped inside and ran through the corridors, using what I remembered from my many years of exploring these passages in the past. Never have I thought I'd be so thankful to have been a slave of the Fire Nation. Now, it was useful in Ozai's downfall. More irony, I fleetingly internalized. Ozai's little slave girl was going to take him down. What a glorious notion.

I soon found my way though the maze of the volcano and was in the heart of the service tunnels of the palace. Aang would surely be nearing Ozai's throne room shortly, and I needed to be there with him when he did. I quickly found myself standing in the service entry just outside the throne room, but there was nothing to be heard. No crackling fire, not talks between Ozai and his children, or his advisors. It was silent. Peeking my head into the room, I found it was empty and I knew what had happened. Aang burst through the curtain from the other side of the room, ready for battle, but was met with the empty throne.

"No," he whispered. "Fire Lord Ozai, where are you!"

I stepped out to meet him. "He must have known we were coming. Ozai had to have known we'd plan the invasion on the Day of Black Sun. He's probably gone now. We… we failed."

* * *

**Kind of a downer ending, but then again, the end of the first of the two Invasion episodes was kind of a downer upon watching it for the first time. Come on, I couldn't have been the only one who was like "WHAT? WHERE IS HE?" when I first saw it. XD**

**Anyway, please R&R.**


	41. Chapter 40

**Well, another chapter has been written. Honestly, I'm so glad to finally be in the home stretch of this story. I mean, I finished the first of the four finale chapters. I'm SO CLOSE to finishing this story, I can almost taste it. Anyway, here is the next chapter of the invasion. I personally had a bit more fun with this, simply because it allowed me to do some exploring with Kala as she realizes who she's become. It's kinda interesting. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. Only Kala and the other OCs are mine.**

* * *

"Aang, we have to get out of here. The eclipse will be starting any minute now, and we can't afford to be sitting in an empty room. There's more work to be done," I said firmly as I rested a hand on the other Half's shoulder.

"There's no way I can get you back to the others in time for the eclipse, not without the soldiers spotting us before we can make it to them. I can't just leave you here," Aang argued.

"I know you could probably fly me out there if we really needed to, but then the soldiers would just shoot us from the sky. I can't imagine it'd be easy to fly with an extra person. That's why I _want_ you to leave me here and go back to our friends."

"What?"

"Think about it, Aang. We need to both get out of here alive. We can't do that if I fly with you. Leave me here, and I'll find a way out on my own. Just tell me somewhere I can go to meet up with you later that would be safe." Aang thought for a moment, his brow furrowing in frustration. I could tell he didn't really want to leave me in the Fire Nation capital, alone in enemy territory. But he knew as well as I did that it was our best option. After a moment, he sighed heavily and turned his gaze on me.

"Travel to the north of here as fast as you can. You'll have to stay out of what's left of the invasion, but that's how you can get to safer ground. Head north and once the eclipse is over, whether we've won or not, we'll come out to find you." I nodded in acceptance.

"Is there something north of here that you have in mind?" I asked.

"If we don't win, I'm going to bring everyone to the Western Air Temple. If you head north, you'll be right on the way when we go there."

"Sounds good. I'll see you soon, then. Fly safe, Aang."

"And you be careful in here," he answered.

"Hey, I lived here for long enough to know every nook and cranny. I'll be fine."

With that, we parted ways. Aang left through the same doorway he'd come from, while I returned to the empty servant's corridors. My footsteps echoed around me as I ran as quickly my legs could carry me. The intricate maze was made simple from the years I'd spent as a child there. I came across the servant's quarters, where I'd once slept, and my feet stopped. Staring into that room, I felt a nostalgic tug at my heart. To think that only a few years prior, I had been sleeping in that very room, so blissfully unaware of whom I really was.

Back then, I was Kala, the servant girl to Crown Prince Zuko. I was quiet, polite and afraid. I had been everything Ozai had wanted me to be, conditioned by the whippings I'd received for disobeying the laws of the subservient. Now, I was no longer that same girl. True, I was still generally quiet and still very much polite, but I was no longer afraid. Ozai didn't scare me, and neither did my fate as Half the Avatar. Staring into my old sleeping quarters, I finally understood just how _wrong_ my life as a servant was. I was never truly happy there, and the only bit of joy I ever found was in my time with Zuko and Lady Ursa.

Within me, I felt an energy flow through my body that had previously been knotted. With a gentle, sweeping sigh, I realized I'd opened the Throat Chakra, just as Guru Pathik had urged me to do right before the fall of Ba Sing Se. As a confident smile tugged at my lips, I ran past the servant's quarters and continued on my way out of the Royal Palace. I needed to leave through the north end of the volcano in order to head towards the Western Air Temple, wherever that was.

* * *

When I finally made it through the north end of the volcano, I saw that the eclipse had ended only moments before, and the sky was now filled with Fire Nation war balloons. My eyes widened in shock at the sight of them. I'd never known they had that kind of thing in their arsenal. Only minutes later, I could see Aang and someone riding Appa attacking the balloons, trying to slow down the fleet. Using the water I'd stored in my leather pouches prior to the invasion, I froze a pillar of ice to let them know where I was. It was Aang who swooped down and landed beside me.

"Hop on and hold on tight!" he ordered. "No need to lay low anymore!" The moment I was gripping his glider, Aang took off through the air and back towards where the submarines had landed. That certainly wasn't north, I thought, but I wasn't about to voice this. Plans changed, after all. When we landed at the bottom of the volcano, where Sokka and Toph were, Sokka ordered for us to take cover from bombs. In response, Toph created an earth barrier to protect all of us, including Appa and Katara, who had landed with Aang and me.

"Why aren't they turning around to attack us again?" Katara asked as we watched the balloons fly farther away.

"They're headed for the beach," Aang murmured. My eyes widened once more.

"They're going to destroy the submarines!" I exclaimed. "We've gotta do something!"

"How are we all gonna escape?" Sokka asked dejectedly.

"We're not," Chief Hakoda answered from behind us, leaning heavily on my father.

"Then our only choice is to stand and fight. We have both Halves. We could still win."

"Yes, with both Halves we_ could_ still win, on another day. You kids have to leave. You have to escape on Appa together."

"What? We can't leave you behind!" Katara exclaimed as she ran to her father.

"It's the only way," I murmured. "Appa can't carry our entire army. All the kids escaping would be the only way for us to have any hope of defeating Ozai."

"You have to go somewhere safe," Chief Hakoda added in agreement.

"The youngest of our group should go with you," my father said. "The adults will stay behind and surrender. We'll be prisoners, but we'll all survive this battle."

Another man stepped forward. "I've had experience with Fire Nation prisons. It's not going to be easy, but we'll get by," he said. My heart ached at the idea of my father sitting in a Fire Nation prison, but I knew this was our only choice. I had to leave him behind… again.

"They're at the beach already!" Sokka yelled, breaking my thoughts in an instant. We watched in horror as the submarines were destroyed in a matter of seconds. Those trying to defend them didn't stand a chance. I rubbed away the tears forming in my eyes and pushed away my sadness at leaving my dad again. I could mourn once we were somewhere safe.

"Everyone coming with us, you need to get on Appa now," I ordered firmly. "We need to be flying out of here in five minutes or less, or else those war balloons are going to double back and hit us again. Let's go!"

All the child and teen fighters were loaded into Appa's saddle, with Katara, Sokka, Toph, Aang and I climbing on last to ensure we'd gotten everyone. As we flew off, I finally allowed my tears to fall and stared back at my father. He'd told me before we left that he was proud of me, and for the first time, I really felt like I had something to be proud of. Even though we hadn't won this battle, we could still win the war. That was what mattered right now.

"I know just the place where we can go to be safe for a while: The Western Air Temple," Aang yelled over the wind. I turned to Sokka as we flew.

"What did I miss while I was escaping the palace?" I asked.

"We tried infiltrating the bunker in the heart of the volcano, but had no luck. We couldn't find the Fire Lord, and wasted most of our time looking for him," he answered.

"I didn't know there was a bunker in the volcano. It wasn't anything Zuko had ever mentioned when we were kids."

"Probably because they never worried about it when you were kids," Toph muttered. "The Fire Nation was never invaded until today."

"But we made some real headway today," Sokka answered. "We got the Fire Nation soldiers to fall back for a while, and we found more information about the palace than we knew before. It's something we can use for next time."

"And next time, we will succeed," I added confidently.

* * *

**I hope you liked it. :)**

**Please R&R.**


	42. Chapter 41

**Can you believe this? Two chapters written in a day. Now, I know some people would say "Wow, Min, shouldn't you slow down your updating just a bit so you don't leave your readers in the dust?" Honestly, I'd prefer to get this updated as soon as possible. I can rest once it's over. lol. I know it might get frustrating for some readers if they check after a couple days and see that I've got multiple chapters done, but I feel like it'd be more frustrating to be sitting and waiting for six months (as I've done in with this story in the past) and waiting for a chapter that never seems to come. Besides, I'd personally be overjoyed to be reading multiple chapters at once because it gives me a chance to NOT have to wait for the next thing to happen... I'm the same way when I read manga, actually. I wait for about a month or so, and then I pick up a manga again and read through multiple chapters so I don't have to wait every week for an update... But that's just me.**

**Anyway, enough of my ramblings. On to the Western Air Temple!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. Only Kala and the other OCs are mine.**

* * *

After flying for a few hours, we finally came to an island north of the Fire Nation, where Aang landed Appa and we began walking. The weight of the armor and all of us was too much for the bison to carry for much further, and Aang assured us the Western Air Temple wasn't a far walk. We were all silent, unwilling to talk about the defeat we'd suffered.

"This is humiliating," Katara murmured as we continued our walk of shame.

"You mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?" Sokka retorted.

"Both."

"Sorry, guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people," Aang answered, rubbing the exposed patch of fur around his bison's eye.

"I wonder how the rest of the troops are," Teo said. I could tell he was worried about his father. We were all worried about our parents and friends back on the battlefield. I knew the Fire Nation wasn't kind to their prisoners in general. It scared me to think of what they would do to my father.

"They're probably on their way to a prison," another boy, whom I'd learned was Haru, answered. "Seems like my dad just got out; now he's going back in."

"I miss Pipsqueak," The Duke murmured sadly. I was sad to see a boy so young in the midst of this war. A child like him shouldn't have had to endure this. It was bad enough the rest of us, still only teenagers, were.

"I miss not having blisters on my feet," Sokka answered, trying to cheer up the younger boy a little. After a moment, Toph suddenly stopped short.

"Hey, we're here! I can feel it!" she exclaimed. We all looked around, but saw nothing but grasslands and the ledge of a cliff.

"Uh… I think your feet need their eyes checked," Katara answered.

"No, she's right. We _are_ here," Aang told us with a smile. I looked around once more and my eyes lit up in recognition. This _was_ the place! Zuko and I had come here first when he'd begun his search for Aang two years ago. Or was it three years now? I'd lost track of the time.

Minutes later, we were all on Appa again and flying down into the Air Temple. It was as beautiful as it had been the last time I saw it. The temple was built upside down, underneath the ledge of the cliff so as to remain hidden. It was truly a magnificent place. It wasn't long before we landed in the main courtyard of one of the buildings, where a fountain was still flowing.

"This is different from the Northern Air Temple," Teo commented. "I wonder if there are any secret rooms."

"Let's go check it out!" Haru suggested as he began running off. Teo and The Duke followed closely behind. Aang was about to follow, but Katara stopped him.

"You guys go. I think we need to talk about some things," she said. The boys ran off, as though they hadn't even heard with Katara had said. They were all too excited with exploring. I couldn't blame them. I would have loved to look around this place too. It was so beautiful, I could've gotten lost in it forever.

"Why can't I go?" Aang asked

"We need to decide what we're gonna do now, and since you and Kala are the Avatar, maybe you guys should be a part of this." Aang and I sat down with Katara, Sokka and Toph near the edge of the courtyard.

"So, what's your new plan?" I asked.

"Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan," Sokka answered.

"I'm not sure I follow. What was your old plan?"

"The old plan was to find you, and get you and Aang to learn your elements, so you can confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

"Well, your plan is mostly complete. We just have one problem. Where am I supposed to get a Firebending teacher? Iroh began teaching me a little while we were traveling through the Earth Kingdom, but I didn't get very far. I still can't create fire on my own. I'd wanted to learn how to keep control before I began working with actual flames," I answered.

"Where is he now?" Toph asked.

"I don't know. Last I knew he was captured and take prisoner back in Ba Sing Se. At least, that was the most likely situation for him to be in. At this point, though, I have no clue where he is. Of if he's even alive." It pained me to say that, but I knew it was a possibility, especially taking into consideration Ozai's hatred for his older brother.

"Oh well. Guess we can't come up with anybody. Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" Aang suggested happily as he began running off. He flew off before we had a chance to say anything to stop him.

"It doesn't sound like he _wants_ me to be Firebending," I murmured.

"There's gotta be _someone_ who can teach you," Sokka said, thinking aloud.

"We should probably go get Aang. He needs to be helping Kala right now," Katara suggested. While the rest of them boarded Appa, I remained behind in the courtyard to tend to our new camping area. As I cleaned up the area we would be sleeping, I could hear the others yelling after Aang as he flew around the Air Temple. It wasn't long before their voices grew closer and I knew they would be coming in soon.

"And you're gonna love the All-Day Echo Chamber!" Aang exclaimed when they landed.

"I think that'll have to wait," Toph answered seriously. I turned what I was doing and my gaze fell on Zuko as he stood in the courtyard. How long had he been there? Why hadn't I noticed him? He'd had every opportunity in the world to kill me, but instead he'd remained hidden. I didn't get it. Wasn't he on Ozai's side?

"Hello, Zuko here," he greeted lamely.

Despite my shock at seeing him here, I couldn't help but take in how much he'd changed since I'd last seen him. His hair was longer now than it was in Ba Sing Se, and he was dressed nicer. He wasn't wearing anything remotely similar to the robes the Crown Prince should wear, but something that would be suitable for fighting and traveling in. He looked healthy, for which I was glad. Even though he'd betrayed me, I couldn't find it in myself to wish ill upon him. I wasn't happy with him, to say the least, but that didn't mean I wanted him dead. While my friends all took a battle-ready position, I continued to stare at him in shock.

"I heard you guys flying around down there, so I just thought I'd wait for you here," he said, sounding as though he was nervous. Appa roared and licked him in response. As he wiped the saliva off his face, I finally found my voice.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I know you must be surprised to see me here."

"Not really," Sokka answered, "since you followed us all over the world."

"Right. Well, uh, anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed. And I, uh, I'm good now. And, well, I think I should join your group. Oh, and I can teach Kala Firebending."

"First you betray me to join your father. And now you betray your father to join me? Who's side are you on Zuko?" I asked in as harsh a tone I could muster. Inside, my heart was aching. What if he wasn't really joining us and was just planning to bring us to his father once we let our guards down.

"Kala, I-"

"You wanna _what_ now?" Toph asked.

"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?" Katara demanded.

"Yeah! All you've ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Aang!" Sokka yelled.

"I've done some good things," Zuko defended. "I mean, I could've stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something." Said bison licked him again.

"Appa _does_ seem to like him," Toph commented.

"He probably just covered himself in honey or something, so that Appa would lick him," Sokka retorted. "I'm not buying it."

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me. And I know I've made some mistakes in the past."

"Like when you attacked our village!"

"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us!" Katara added. My brow furrowed slightly. I remembered that. It was when I'd just missed seeing my father back in that abbey where they made the perfumes.

"Look, I admit I've done some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture Aang, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you." My eyes widened in shock.

"Wait! You sent Combustion Man after us?" Sokka demanded, pulling out his boomerang.

"Well, that's not his name, but-" Zuko began.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend!" Sokka taunted.

"He's not my friend!"

"That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!" Toph yelled. Zuko appeared to sigh softly before turning his attention on Aang and me.

"Why aren't you guys saying anything?" he asked. "Aang, you once said you thought we could be friends. And Kala, you've been with me for years. You know I have good in me." There was silence, during which time I couldn't bring myself to look at Zuko. I _wanted_ to trust him because he was right. I _knew_ there was good inside him. He'd had multiple occasions to kill me, to turn me in to his father, but he never did. Zuko had protected me for so long, and had been my best friend for years. I couldn't just forget all of that.

_Remember the good._

"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done," Aang answered before I had a chance to speak. "We'll never let you join us." An expression of shock and a bit of sadness crossed Zuko's features and Katara ordered him to leave.

"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore," he urged.

"Either you leave, or we attack," Sokka warned him.

"If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner." Zuko dropped to his knees with his head bowed, something I'd never seen him do before. It wasn't like him to lower himself like that. I couldn't believe this was all an act. He'd never been this submissive in the past. Maybe he really had changed.

"No, we won't!" Katara yelled and used her Waterbending to push Zuko away. "Get out of here and don't come back!"

Zuko slowly stood and walked off dejectedly, leaving us alone in the courtyard. I stared after him for a minute, at war with myself. There was so much I didn't understand about what was going on. Why had Zuko really come to us? Was he really on our side, or just acting? But if it was all an act, he wouldn't have been so gentle about it. If he really wanted to, he could have attacked when we didn't cooperate with whatever plan he may have created. Instead, he'd walked off without another word of protest. I had to understand what was going on with him. It was stupid, but I started to follow him.

"Kala, where are you going?" Sokka asked.

"I need to talk to him," I answered. "I-I have to understand what's going on."

"What are you talking about? He's just trying to trick us. It wouldn't be the first time he'd claimed to have changed and went back on it," Katara told me.

"You don't know Zuko like I do. This was different, and I have to find out why. I'll be back before nightfall, I promise."

"At least let one of us go with you," Sokka suggested.

"No. You'll just argue again. I want to talk to him myself." With that, I turned away and continued to follow Zuko down the Western Air Temple and through a forest area until I came upon his camp. As I neared, I could hear him speaking, though it sounded more like he was berating himself. I hid behind a nearby tree and watched while he yelled at a badger-frog.

"Why didn't I just say Azula said that? They would've believed that! Stupid!" he yelled and smacked his forehead. The badger-frog croaked in response, and Zuko fell to his knees with a groan. I walked out from behind my hiding place with a chuckle.

"Since when do you talk to badger-frogs, Zuko?" I asked. His head snapped up and he turned abruptly to me.

"Kala? Why did you… I mean-"

I stopped laughing and my expression hardened. "Don't think I came here because I've forgiven you so easily. That's now why I followed you."

"Then why?"

"I just don't get you, Zuko. Whose side are you really on? Why did you betray me back in Ba Sing Se? Do you have any idea how much that hurt me? My best friend abandoned me for the father who had never really cared about him!"

"I know that now, and I know how wrong I was."

"I don't think you realize just how cruel a man your father is. You never had any idea what he did to me when I was only a child, when I was only eight years old. Your father, the man you idolized, had me and the other servants whipped with fire!" I turned to show him the discolored skin on my back.

"What? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"When we were in the palace, I couldn't. After we were banished, I chose not to because I wanted to protect you. There are a lot of things about your father that I've protected you from, because you wanted his favor so badly. During my time away from you, I've learned that sheltering someone isn't the same as protecting them. At some point, we all have to grow up."

"Kala… I'm so sorry," Zuko whispered and my gaze softened. I knelt beside him and tentatively rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't blame you for my past, Zuko. I blame your father. You said back there that you're not that same person that hunted Aang down and did all those horrible things they listed. What I want to know, Zuko, is who you are now. You're not the same Zuko I traveled with because you didn't try to attack the rest of them. You're not an evil Zuko, because you didn't try to kill me when I was setting up the camp. So, who _are _you?"

There was silence between us for a few moments, and I knew Zuko was trying to figure out just how to answer my question. I doubted he knew what to call himself, seeing as he'd undergone so much change through it all. I figured he knew he was different, but he wasn't entirely sure _how_ just yet.

"I… I don't really know. I just know I'm not the same person I was before. I don't want to please my father. I want to help you and Aang defeat him." I nodded slowly.

"I can't forgive you until you can tell me just who you are now, because if you don't know who you really are, then how can I be sure you won't turn back into the same Zuko that betrayed me?"

"I understand."

"I'm going back up to the others. When you can tell me who you are now, come find me." I stood from where I'd been kneeling and began walking back towards the Air Temple. When I'd gotten to the tree I'd previously been hiding behind, I stopped for a moment. "But I still love you," I whispered and sprinted off.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Toph?" Katara asked the next morning while she served rice for breakfast in the Air Temple.

"I haven't seen her since she stormed off yesterday," Sokka answered. I'd heard that Toph had been angry at the others for mistrusting Zuko, though I couldn't particularly blame them. After all they'd been through, after all _I_ had been through, it was understandable.

"Maybe she's just exploring the Air Temple," Haru suggested. "There are some pretty fun spots to practice Earthbending."

"I think we should go look for her," Katara answered.

"Ah, let her have fun with her rocks," Sokka retorted as he took a seat on the floor. "I'm in no rush to have her yelling at us again."

"We can go look for her," The Duke said.

"Yeah! I wanna to go ride that tunnel down to the hall of statues again," Teo added excitedly. "It'll work a lot better now that I've fixed my brakes." With that, Teo, Haru and The Duke ran off in search for our young Earthbender. Suddenly, the temple shook and a large hole was made in one of the nearby walls. Katara, Sokka, Aang and I ran over to find Toph stumbling out of the hole she'd created, much more clumsy than I'd ever seen her.

"Toph! What happened?" Katara asked worriedly.

"My feet got burned!" Toph yelled in response.

"How did that happen?" I asked as I moved to start picking her up.

"Well, I kind of went to see Zuko last night, after you did."

"You _what_?" Aang demanded.

"I just thought that he could be helpful to us, and if I talked to him maybe we could work something out." While she was speaking, Katara began healing her feet with water.

"So he attacked you?" Sokka retorted.

"Well, he did and he didn't. It was sort of an accident."

"But he _did _Firebend at you," Aang clarified, causing Toph sigh heavily.

"Yes."

"See!" Sokka yelled. "You trusted Zuko and you got burned, literally!"

"Just wait a minute, Sokka. She said it was an accident. We don't know what actually happened," I tried to reason.

"It doesn't matter. The fact is, Zuko burned Toph. He clearly can't control himself."

"I really don't think that's it."

"You're just saying that because he didn't throw fire at you!"

"But he had every opportunity to! I was practically defenseless when I saw him, but he did _nothing _to attack me."

"He's too dangerous to be left alone. We're gonna have to go after him."

"I hate to go looking for a fight, but you're right. After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice," Aang added.

"He's crafty, but we'll find a way to capture him."

"Maybe just invite him back here. He's already offered himself up as a prisoner once." I began carrying Toph towards the fountain with Sokka's help, a frown on my lips.

"You guys aren't listening to me. I really don't think he burned you on purpose, Toph. Think about it, he's alone in that forest. What if you just startled him?" As we placed Toph's feet in the water of the fountain, she sighed in relief.

"I don't know how you can trust him so easily. He betrayed you most," Katara told me.

"I don't fully trust him yet. I haven't even forgiven him. But I know how Zuko can be. He's really isn't the same as he was back when he we were traveling together. I don't know _who_ he is right now, but he's not wicked." Suddenly, an explosion rang from the ceiling above us, just like what we had seen from Combustion Man. Sokka and Aang quickly grabbed Toph and pulled her out of the fountain so they could carry her to safety.

"Stop!" we heard Zuko yell. We all looked up to see him approaching Combustion Man on the ledge of another building. "I don't want you hunting the Airbender anymore. The mission is off! I'm ordering you to stop!" He was shoved out of the way as Combustion Man caused the top of the fountain to explode. "If you keep attacking, I won't pay you!" Zuko was stopped once again. "Alright! I'll pay you double to stop!"

"Must be nice to have that kind of money," I muttered under my breath as we continued to hide behind the ledge of the fountain. Another explosion hit, this time closer than before, but we were still safe. I peek out from behind the ledge and saw Combustion Man aim his attack at Zuko, sending him off the ledge they were perched on. My heart stopped for a moment before I saw him clinging to a large vine hanging from the building.

As Combustion Man turned his attention back towards us, Aang ran out from the cover and flew into the air to provide a distraction. He sent a tornado at our attacker, but the assassin merely leapt over it and into the courtyard. Sokka ran with Toph to hide behind a nearby wall, while Katara and I stayed to help Aang fight. Katara and I combined our Waterbending abilities to send near endless streams of attacks at the assassin, but nothing seemed to have any affect on him. In the moment he was distracted, however, we ducked behind the same wall Sokka and Toph were hiding behind. More explosions went off, causing the entire temple to tremble.

"He's going to blast this whole place right off the cliff-side!" Toph yelled.

"We can't step out to Waterbend at him without getting blown up, and we can't get a good angle at him from down here," Katara said.

"I know how to get an angle on him," Sokka answered. He pulled out his boomerang and launched it in the hopes it would hit Combustion Man. It did hit the assassin square in the forehead, but it didn't do much damage, as he stood up moments later. We ran back into hiding before Combustion Man could attack again, but no explosions came in our direction. Instead, the assassin himself exploded in a blazing inferno. We peered out from behind the wall and I couldn't help but smile. I couldn't believe we'd survived a fight with that assassin. Not only survive, but _win_. It was exciting.

A short time later, Zuko approached our group in the courtyard again. This time, he didn't look like he was hoping for our acceptance. It was more like he was just hoping for us to give him another chance to explain himself.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but… Thanks, Zuko," Aang said after a moment.

"Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing," Sokka interjected.

"Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. I've been through a _lot_ in the past few years. It's been hard, but I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I though I had lost my honor and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you hour honor. It's something you earn for yourself by choosing what's right. All I want now is to play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you and Kala restore balance to the world," Zuko explained. He then turned to Toph. "I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild so, as a Firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending so I don't hurt people unintentionally."

I smiled softly at him. "I'm glad you finally learned that," I said. "I'm beginning to think that maybe Iroh wasn't meant to be my Firebending teacher. You were." I turned to my friends to explain what I meant. "When I used Firebending for the first time, it was accidental. I was scared and… it just happened. I nearly hit Zuko. After that, I was afraid to lose control so when Iroh started teaching me, I told him to make sure I could control what I create. Now, Zuko's learned how important that is as well. He's meant to teach me, and Aang and I need to start working together if we want any hope at defeating Ozai."

"I think Kala's right," Aang said.

"Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group," Zuko said happily.

"Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Kala?"

"I need to learn Firebending. But, Zuko, you know my conditions for forgiving you, and you haven't met them yet," I told him. Aang nodded and turned to Toph.

"Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do _you_ think?"

"Go ahead and let him join," she answered. "It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."

"Sokka?"

"Hey, all I want to do is defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then I'm all for it."

"Katara?"

"I'll go along with whatever _you_ think is right."

"I won't let you down, I promise," Zuko urged.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, I went down to the room Zuko was now to inhabit to visit him. As I neared, I saw Katara walking the in opposite direction, a frown heavily set on her features. I could only assume she'd spoken with Zuko and was still unhappy with the whole situation. When I came to his room, I knocked lightly on the door, earning permission to enter.

"I just, you know, wanted to see how you're doing. And to thank you for helping us earlier," I said uneasily.

"I couldn't let him continue to hunt you down," Zuko answered.

"But he only went after Aang. Did you order that?"

"I never wanted you to get hurt. I should've never sent him in the first place."

"No, you shouldn't have. But I'm happy you tried to stop him."

"Kala… I think I've figured out who I am now."

"Oh? And who is that?" I asked.

"I'm not a slave to my father anymore, but my own person. I don't want his approval. I want yours and Uncle's most of all, because you two were the ones who were always there for me. I want to be the kind of man my mother would be proud of. I'm your Firebending teacher, but I'm also your friend. I want to be your best friend again, but I know that will take some time. I'm a new, better version of myself. No more lying, and no more betrayal." I smiled softly in response.

"Thank you for opening yourself up to me like that. Now, there's just one more thing."

"What's that?" Zuko asked. I balled my hand into a fist and punched him square in the chest as hard as I could, sending him falling back onto the floor with a grunt. As he rubbed the now sore spot where I'd hit him, I smiled brightly.

"That was for betraying me back in Ba Sing Se. Now, I forgive you, Zuko. I'll see you at lunch." As I turned towards the door, I was stopped when Zuko spoke again.

"Kala, I said I want to be your best friend again, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I want to be more than that, if you'll let me." I bit my lip and kept my back to him.

"Let's just take this one step at a time for now, Zuko," I answered and quickly left the room.

* * *

**So, Kala's basically forgiven Zuko... kind of. She's still upset about what happened in Ba Sing Se, but she also doesn't want to stay angry at the person who's been her best friend for ten years. So, because of this little confliction, that brings about the 'one step at a time' answer she gives. She's forgiven him, but doesn't fully trust him again just yet. Ya see what I'm getting at here? lol Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**Please R&R.**


	43. Chapter 42

**So, um, yeah... I'M ONLY ONE CHAPTER AWAY FROM BEING DONE! Not even kidding, I'm about to start watching the final finale episode so I can write it, and then it's just a matter of slapping together an epilogue (which won't take me long). Once I finish writing the epilogue, I'll probably upload those six extra chapters that I always make sure to have on reserve one day at a time. So, you'll probably get about another week (maybe a bit less) of me updating, and then I will finally be able to mark this story as complete. **

**I think once I'm done, I'm going to go back and read this story from the beginning, because I just think it's so great for me to be able to look back and see how Kala was at the beginning of this story. I've gotten so used to writing her as she is now, that I forgot just how timid and demure she was in the beginning. It's really amazing when you think about it... Sorry, but even as the author, I can't beleive how much Kala has grown. Anyway, on to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and my random OCs.**

* * *

Only a day after Zuko joined our little rag-tag gang, he led to me a secluded ledge in the Western Air Temple, where the others wouldn't be able to stumble into the middle of my lesson, accidentally being harmed. Zuko was going to teach me how to Firebend, something I'd only brushed upon with Iroh.

"I know you're nervous," Zuko said as we came to the area he would be teaching me, "but remember Firebending, in and of itself, is _not_ something to fear."

"I'm not afraid of Firebending, Zuko," I answered. It was true. I didn't fear Firebending itself. I feared what I might do if I ever lost control.

"But if you don't respect it, it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry komodo-rhino!" My eyes widened in fear as he yelled this.

"Don't tell me that!" It was bad enough that I was worried losing control of my fire. The last thing I needed was to be told that the element I was supposed to master could, to quote Zuko, 'chew me up and spit me out.'

"Show me what you learned from my uncle," he said more calmly. I nodded and created a small fire in my hands. I then punched and kicked the air a few times, only creating tiny bursts of fire. It wasn't much. Iroh had just started teaching me before and I was only able to learn a few of the absolute basics.

"I need a little more instruction. How about a demonstration?" I suggested.

"Good idea. Take a couple steps back." I did so and Zuko started Firebending. He punched the air, as I'd seen him do hundreds of times over. This time, I paid close attention to his form. Oddly, only a burst of fire like the one I'd created came from his hand. "What was _that_? That was the worst Firebending I've ever seen." He tried a few more times, still having the same result. Zuko growled in frustration. "Why is this happening?" I placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder and smiled softly.

"Don't worry about it. We can try again tomorrow," I said and walked back up to where Aang and the others were.

* * *

That evening, we all gathered around the campfire and prepared to call it a night. Zuko stood by the entryway of the area we were staying, staring out at the stars. After a short while, he turned away from where he'd been standing and addressed the group.

"Listen, everybody. I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff," he said and a saddened expression crossed my face. He'd lost his ability to Firebend. I'd suspected it when he had been unable to demonstrate earlier that day, but I didn't want to believe it.

"Don't look at me!" Toph yelled. "I didn't touch your stuff."

"He means his Firebending. It's gone," I answered. Katara started laughing and I glared at her. How could she find something this serious funny? When she began speaking, she held a condescending tone.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how it would've been nice for us if you lost your Firebending a long time ago?"

"Well, it's not lost. It's just… weaker for some reason," Zuko said, his voice dropping at the last part of his sentence. All his life, he'd worked so hard to become a strong Firebender. Now, that was gone.

"Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." My gaze hardened towards her.

"Zuko could have made this campfire into a blazing inferno, as you well know. This is serious," I answered with a slight growl in my voice.

"I bet it's because I changed sides," Zuko murmured.

"That's ridiculous," Katara answered.

"I don't know," Aang interjected. "Maybe it isn't. Maybe your Firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it like you used to."

"He's right!" I exclaimed. "Your Firebending was strongest when you were so angry that I thought I'd lost you to your hate." I immediately covered my mouth, knowing that my words had come out wrong. Zuko flinched.

"So… all we need to do is make Zuko angry. Easy enough," Sokka said and began poking Zuko with a large stick. I sighed. Annoyance and anger were two very different things.

"Okay, cut it out!" Zuko yelled. "Look, even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way."

"You're going to need to draw your Firebending from a different source. I recommend the _original_ source," Toph answered.

"How's he supposed to do that, by jumping into a volcano?" Sokka asked jokingly. I elbowed him in the side.

"No. Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of Firebending is."

"So, is he jumping into a volcano?"

"Shut up," I hissed. "The original Firebenders were dragons."

"That doesn't help anything. The dragons are extinct," Zuko answered.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked. "There were plenty of dragons when I was a kid."

"Well, they aren't around anymore, okay?"

"Okay, okay. Sorry."

"Remember, Aang, you've missed a lot in a hundred years," I whispered gently.

"But maybe there's another way. The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors," Zuko said, thinking aloud.

"Sun Warriors? I haven't heard of them."

"I know _they_ weren't around when I was a kid," Aang added.

"No. They died off thousands of years ago, but their civilization wasn't too far from where we are now. Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins," Zuko explained.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Aang, can we borrow Appa tomorrow?"

"Sure," the Airbender answered with a smile. We all went to bed soon after, Zuko and I knowing we would be waking up early the next morning.

* * *

When the dawn came, we left with Appa. I sat on the Flying Bison's head, holding onto the reins, though I wasn't steering him very much. Zuko was in the saddle, still trying to fully awaken. The trip was mostly silent, though it wasn't entirely uncomfortable. My thoughts were occupied by what Zuko had said to me the day before, about wanting to go beyond the 'best friend' title we'd always had with each other. I wanted to, but I just didn't know if I could do that yet. Though I'd said I'd forgiven Zuko, I still couldn't help the lingering doubts I had. That was why I had said we'd take it one step at a time, because I simply didn't know what to were flying for hours before we finally landed in the ancient civilization. We left Appa at the entrance and walked through the ruins. The architecture was amazing.

"Even though these buildings are ancient, there's something eerily familiar about them. I can tell the Fire Sage's temples are somehow descended from these," Zuko murmured.

"It would appear that way," I answered quietly, looking around. My foot hit some kind of wire and I began falling forward. Before me, the ground opened up to reveal a bed of spikes and I screamed. Zuko grabbed my wrist and pulled me back until I crashed into him. "I think the past is trying to kill me, Zuko!" Once I steadied myself, Zuko let go of me and knelt down to inspect the trap I'd triggered.

"I can't believe this," he said. "This booby trap must be centuries old and it still works." I frowned and looked down at him.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Let's keep going. If there are traps, then there must be something worthwhile inside." I opened my pouch of water and catapulted myself across the spike bed. Zuko ran across the wall and we continued through the ruins of the Sun Warriors. We climbed a set of stone stairs leading up to the top of one of the buildings. On the wall was a stone carving depicting a man standing on some kind of platform. There were two dragons on either side of him, breathing fire on him.

"They look pretty angry to me," Zuko muttered.

"I thought the dragons were on good terms with the Sun Warriors."

"Well, they had a funny way of showing it."

We walked across a bridge leading to the next building and Zuko stopped in front of a broken stone statue of a large dragon. I knew the story of how his uncle had slain the last of the dragons. Who would have guessed it would come back to haunt us in the long run? We soon came to another temple, though this one had a large, circular door to it. Above it was a beautiful red gem that looked bigger than my head. I walked up to the door and inspected it for some way to open it.

"I can't find any opening," I called across to Zuko. He turned and looked at the sun.

"Wait. It's a celestial calendar, just like the Fire Sages have in their temples," he said, pointing to the stone floor. There, I could see the calendar carved into it. "I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when the sunlight hits it at just the right angle, on the solstice." I growled and smacked my forehead.

"I'm beginning to hate the Firebenders' fixation with Summer Solstice," I muttered. "We can't wait that long!"

"No, we can't." Zuko drew his sword and angled it towards the ground. "But we might be able to speed time up. Let's see if we can outsmart the sunstone."

He began moving his sword, manipulating the reflection of the sunlight until it hit the sunstone above the door. It slowly opened, revealing a room filled with strange statues. Zuko sheathed his sword and the two of us walked into the room. The statues were in pairs that wrapped around the room in a circle. I stopped at the first one, closest to the door, while Zuko continued to walk farther into the room.

"It's called the Dancing Dragon," I murmured and imitated the form the statue before me had. I felt the tile beneath me move and glanced around at the other statues. An idea hit me and I ran to catch up with Zuko, grabbing his arm. "Zuko, come dance with me."

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"I have an idea. We'll follow the steps of the statues."

Zuko and I started at the same time, following the poses depicted by the statues. As we moved, the tiles moved beneath our feet. We followed the statues around the room, circling around until we met on the side opposite the door with the final pose. As soon as we finished, a pedestal came out from the center of the room with what looked like a golden egg on top of it.

"What's that?" Zuko asked, walking up to the pedestal.

"Don't touch it," I hissed.

"Why not?" I walked to stand beside him.

"Remember the spikes that nearly impaled me? I'm pretty sure that's what they were protecting. Besides, I don't want to steal from this temple. It's sacred." Disregarding what I'd said, Zuko lifted the golden egg off of its pedestal.

"This feels… almost alive."

Suddenly, some kind a green sludge shot up, sticking Zuko to the grate on the ceiling of the room. The door to the chamber we were in closed and the sludge began filling the room. Zuko was completely unable to move from where he was, face up in the grate. I jumped onto the statues in an attempt to avoid the rising glue. As I stood on top of the tallest statue, I realized I was still unable to escape. Pulling the water from my pouch, I vaulted myself upwards, grasping the bars of the grate. I hadn't realized the glue was on them too and I found myself unable to release the bars.

"I can't move!" I cried. The sludge continued to fill the room, overflowing through the grate slightly. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it stopped. "That… was terrifying."

"At least we have air," Zuko answered. "Now we need to think of a way out of this." Silence fell over us and we stared up at the sky, unable to do anything else. We were glued to those metal bars all day, night coming slowly.

"You just _had_ to pick up the golden egg, didn't you?" I muttered.

"How was I supposed to know this would happen?"

"I told you not to touch it!"

"Who is down there?" an adult male voice demanded. I quickly closed my mouth as a muscular man wearing strange clothes, a yellow-feathered headdress and red face-paint came into our view.

"A Sun Warrior," Zuko whispered in disbelief. I glanced at him and then back up at the man. He was a Sun Warrior? By the looks of it, I would guess he was the leader. After a few minutes, Zuko and I were extracted from the glue and were being licked clean by aardvark-sloths. I'd bet Aang wouldn't have had to worry about animal slobber in his hair. The thought of it made me shudder. As we were being cleaned of the sludge, the Chief came forward to address Zuko and me. "For trying to take our sunstone, you must be severely punished."

"We didn't come here to take your sunstone. We came here to find the ancient origin of all Firebending," Zuko answered calmly. Another Sun Warrior stepped forward, cradling the golden egg in his hands.

"Yeah, right," he said. "They're obviously thieves here to steal our Sun Warrior treasures."

"We don't want your treasures," I snapped and then sighed. "Look, I'm Half of the Avatar and I need to learn Firebending. Please, just hear us out."

"My name is Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, or at least, I was," Zuko said, introducing himself. I found it hard to believe that not so long ago, I'd been referring to him by his title, rather than just his name. "I know my people have distorted the ways of Firebending to be fueled by anger and rage, but now I want to learn the _true_ way, the original way. When we came here, I never imagined the Sun Warrior civilization was secretly alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence. Please, teach us."

"If you wish to learn the ways of the sun, you must learn from the masters, Ran and Shao," the Sun Warrior Chief answered.

"There are two?" I asked.

"When you present yourselves to them, they will examine you. They'll read your hearts, your souls, and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot."

Zuko gulped and I held his hand tightly in an effort to calm him. After all of the sludge had been cleaned off of us, Zuko and I stayed the night in the Sun Warrior's temple. Of course, there had been guards to keep a constant vigil over us.

* * *

In the morning, we were led to the top of yet another temple. This one had a covered dome-like area. Shaded beneath this stone cover was a large fire that blazed with the glory of the sun.

"It's beautiful," I murmured.

"If you're going to see the masters, you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame. This fire is the very first one. It was given to man by the dragons. We have kept it going for thousands of years," the Chief explained.

"I don't believe it," Zuko whispered. This whole experience was surreal. I could only imagine how he must have felt, growing up with these legends.

"You will each take a piece of it to the masters to show your commitment to the sacred art of Firebending." Chief extracted some of the fire from the large flames and split it into two more, one over each hand. "This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control." He passed us the flames and they hovered over our hands. In my hands, I could feel a soft fluttering, like the heartbeat of an infant.

"It feels… alive," I whispered.

"Fire is life, not just destruction. You will take your flames up there." He pointed to what appeared to be a split mountain. "The cave of the masters is beneath that rock." As Zuko and I descended the stairs of the temple, I stared out at the split mountain we'd be going to.

"Which rock? There are two of them," I muttered.

"I'm sure we'll find out when we get there. Now let's go," Zuko answered.

We walked together towards the mountain, keeping our flames at a constant heat. Honestly, I found that extremely easy to do. Training with Iroh had taught me how to maintain a flame I created. I simply couldn't shoot fire from my hands and feet like I'd always seen Zuko do. The path became harder as we drew closer to the mountain, as the sun was beginning to set. Loose rocks hindered our movement, but we were finally able to make it to what appeared to be a large, circular floor. In the middle of it, there was a set of stairs that led to a large bridge connecting the two sides of the split mountain. It looked like an altar and a shudder rippled down my spine. When Zuko and I arrived, we saw that the Sun Warriors were already there. The Chief walked forward to speak to us.

"Facing the judgment of the Firebending masters will be very dangerous for you. Your ancestors are directly responsible for the dragons' disappearance," he said, speaking to Zuko. He then directed his attention towards me. "And you. Neither halves of the Avatar have done anything to stop the Fire Nation." He took a bit of fire from each of us and it was spread around for the ceremony.

"What if they judge us and deem us unworthy?" I whispered to Zuko as the Chief walked away.

"We're the Fire Prince and Half of the Avatar. I think we can take them, whoever they are," Zuko answered, gripping the hilt of his sword.

The Sun Warriors began chanting as Zuko and I ascended the stairs to the top of the altar. Once at the top, we stood facing away from each other and bowed, holding our flames out to either cave. A horn was sounded and the cave before me opened. I heard a low growl as air rushed out of the cave. I jumped, startled, and the flame disappeared from my hand, the little heartbeat ceasing. I stumbled back and accidentally ran into Zuko, knocking him off balance and causing him to lose his flame as well. I winced as I thought of what would happen to us now. We'd be roasted and it would be my fault! Suddenly, two dragons flew out of the caves and began flying swiftly around us. I could only stare at them in shock and fear. Turns out they weren't extinct after all. I decided that if anyone were to tell me anything else was extinct, I just wouldn't believe them anymore.

"Still think we can take them?" I asked.

"Shh! I never said that! What do we do now?" I watched the dragons and their fluid-like, though strong movements. They moved like fire, gracefully and swiftly.

"I think we should do the dragon dance with them."

"What? What about this situation makes you think they want us to dance?"

"Well, we have to do _something_. It's worth a shot… Call it Avatar Intuition, or woman's intuition. Whatever you prefer."

Zuko sighed and we stood side by side on the altar. We began moving in unison, performing the movements of the Dancing Dragon that we'd learned from the statues. The dragons moved with us, going in the same directions we were at the exact same time. This wasn't coincidence. The blue dragon moved with me while the red one did the same with Zuko. As we finished the dance, the dragons flew upwards. Zuko and I stood with our backs pressed, hands intertwined. Moment of truth. The dragons stared us in the eyes and I couldn't help but squeeze Zuko's hands in fear. Then, they shot a tornado of fire around us, whirling high into the air. I take back what I said about the Eternal Flame. _This_ was beautiful. The colors I saw in the flames were unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Within the fire, I could see visions of the way the element was supposed to be used.

"I understand," Zuko said quietly.

"I was _right_?" I asked in disbelief. I'd always thought that fire was the most beautiful of the elements. I knew it could be destructive, but I also knew it as a source of life, just like the sun. As the flames disappeared, the dragons flew back into their caves. Zuko and I walked back down to where the Sun Warriors were.

"Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors, colors I've never imagined."

"I've always thought fire was more than destruction. What we just saw goes beyond anything I could've dreamed. It was… like a harmony."

"Yes," the Sun Warrior Chief answered. "They judged you and gave you visions of the meaning of Firebending."

"I can't believe there are still living dragons. My uncle, Iroh, said he faced the last dragon and killed it," Zuko said.

"He lied to us when he told that story," I murmured.

"Actually, it wasn't a total lie," Chief corrected. "Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret to him as well." Zuko's eyes widened.

"He must have lied to protect them," he realized. "So no one else would hunt them. Now I know why my Firebending was so weak before. Because for so many years, hunting the Avatar was my drive. It was my purpose. So, when I joined the two of you, I lost sight of my inner fire. But now, I have a new drive. I _have_ to help you and Aang defeat my father and restore balance to the world." I threw my arms around his neck and smiled.

"You got it back," I whispered happily. Once Zuko and I returned to the Western Air Temple with Appa, we demonstrated our newly-acquired form to Aang and his friends.

"Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there," Sokka said sarcastically once we'd finished.

"It's not a dance, it's a Firebending form," Zuko insisted.

"We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord."

"It's a sacred form that's thousands of years old!" I yelled. Though I was not born a Firebender, I still had pride in the element itself.

"Oh, yeah?" Katara asked. "What's your little form called?" Zuko and I exchanged a glance and grimaced.

"The Dancing Dragon," we muttered in unison and the rest of them began laughing again.

* * *

**And there's the end of another chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Please R&R.**


	44. Chapter 43

**I know, I know... Two chapters in a day again. But, I had to. Because I finally finished writing this story. That's right, everyone! All that remains is for me to write the epilogue and then finish posting my chapters. I'll be perfectly honest, I cried a little when I finished chapter 49. Not just because of what I had happen at the end of it, but also at the realization that this is it. Two years of work have finally paid off and come together to complete this story. It's really such a great feeling and I'm so excited! But, at the same time, I'm kind of sad to see it end. I mean, I put so much time and effort into this story, and now it's ending. I'm not gonna have anymore stories with Kala again... unless I did a spin-off for Kayl. XD**

**No, I'm kidding. I wouldn't have anything for him if I did that, though he was one of my favorite extras. Anyway, ignoring that idea... I really hope you guys have been enjoying this story and are looking forward to its end as much as I am looking forward to posting it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and my other OCs.**

* * *

"Don't you think it's weird?" Sokka asked. I tilted my head to the same angle he had his, my brow furrowed in concentration.

"It _does_ look like the head of a buffalo-yak when you squint," I murmured. "That's really odd, considering this is so far away from the North Pole."

We were staring at the decorative carving at the top of one of the many pillars in the Western Air Temple, this one right by one of the outer ledges of the courtyard we called our campground. Much of the day had been spent relaxing and now that the sun was setting, we were looking for something to occupy our time until dinner. Thus, Sokka found the oddly-shaped carving in the ceiling.

"What's a buffalo-yak?" Zuko asked as he folded up his sleeping bag after having aired it out.

"They used them in the Northern Water Tribe for transportation and carrying supplies, usually. Kayl told me about them after our training with Master Pakku one day."

"Was he the one that tried to attack me?"

I sighed sadly at the memory. "Yeah, but he was just trying to protect me." As I thought back through my time since the Northern Water Tribe, I remembered someone I had been thinking about in the years I was traveling with Zuko. "Hey, do you know how Zelia has been?"

"Who?" Zuko asked.

"She was one of the servants in the palace. She practically raised me. I guess I shouldn't expect you to really know who she was, but she was around a lot when I was little."

"Oh… her."

"Yes, her. Did you see her while you were back in the palace? Or did you hear anything about her?"

"I heard she died soon after I was banished. Some of the other servants told me that she was blamed for you running off, and was punished for it." I gasped softly and covered my mouth with my hand, tears forming in my eyes. Zelia, the woman who had been my mother for years, was killed because I'd made the choice to run away with the prince.

"It's not fair," I murmured.

"You okay?" Sokka answered gently. I nodded silently and stood from where I'd been seated, walking quickly down the nearest hallway.

My footsteps echoed between the walls, until I finally came to a balcony that looked over the cavern between the two sides of the cliffs. As I leaned against the balcony, I couldn't stop the shuddering sobs that fell from my lips. I'd always known that Ozai was cruel, but Zelia had always been good at staying under the radar of his punishment. To think that the blame had been placed on her for my leaving was unthinkable. Sure, she'd been considering my supervisor, but I'd never thought my decision to leave would reflect poorly on her. I guess I'd always figured Ozai would think Zuko took me with him.

"Kala?" I jumped as Zuko's voice echoed from behind me and I quickly shook my head to clear my thoughts. I tried to swipe away at the tears that had fallen, but I realized it was pointless to. He could tell I had been crying. "I'm sorry about Zelia." I shook my head again.

"I'm fine. Besides, it's not like you could've done anything to prevent it. It's just… you know, she was the closest thing to a mother I'd had since I was taken from home. And then I found out my mom in the Southern Water Tribe died after I was captured. And then Ozai…" I stopped myself before I could make the mistake of telling Zuko about his mother's death.

"I kind of know how you feel," he murmured. "Before I left to join you, he said my mother was banished."

"Is that what he told you?" I asked as I turned to face him in the dying sunlight. Zuko's expression turned to a mix of apprehension and curiosity. I quickly covered my mouth and turned away, berating myself for speaking so plainly.

"What do you mean by that?" I didn't respond. "Kala, answer me."

"Your father is a terrible man, Zuko. But I promise you, I will make sure he pays for all of his sins."

"What did he do to my mother?"

"Please, don't ask me to-"

"I want to know. If he didn't banish her, then where is she?" I sighed heavily and bit my lower lip. After a moment of silence, I finally turned around to face Zuko again.

"She was killed by his hand." Zuko took a step back, shaking his head in disbelief. "Zuko, you can't begin to understand how sorry I am and how much I wish I could undo what he's done." I carefully rested a hand on his shoulder.

"How long have you known?" he asked, tears falling from his eyes.

"I watched him do it. Zuko, I swear he will pay for it. Lady Ursa didn't deserve what he did to her."

Zuko stepped back again and his back hit the wall behind him. He slid down to the floor, his head in his hands. I knew this news was devastating for him. He'd spent so much of his life idolizing his father, and hoping beyond all hope that his mother was still alive somewhere in the world. And now I had told him the man he had once idolized killed the woman who showed him the most compassion. I felt horrible for having to tell him now. I supposed a part of me had hoped I would never have to tell him.

After a moment, I sat next to him and wrapped my arms around him as best I could. I simply hugged him in the silence of the Western Air Temple, tears falling from my eyes as well. We mourned the deaths of the women who'd raised us.

* * *

A few nights later, all of my friends, old and new, were gathered around the campfire after dinner had been prepared. Zuko had just prepared a pot of tea and was pouring it into cups on a tray for the rest of us. Watching him reminded me of the tea-shop we had worked in with Iroh back in Ba Sing Se.

"No one can make tea like Uncle, but hopefully I learned a thing or two," he said as he finished pouring.

"I certainly hope so," I answered with a chuckle. "No offense, Zuko, but you weren't the greatest at making tea before." He frowned slightly, but I could tell he wasn't too offended by my honesty.

"Would you guys like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?" After receiving encouragement from the others, Zuko stood and began passing out the tea he'd poured. "Okay. Well, I can't remember how it starts, but the punch line is '_leaf_ me alone, I'm _bushed_.'" He was met by silence. I couldn't even remember which joke he was trying to tell, even given the years of travel with Iroh. "Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it."

"Right. Maybe that's because he _remembers_ the whole thing," Katara answered condescendingly, bringing laughter from the others.

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little," Toph said as Zuko continued to walk around with the cups of tea. "It hardly ever happens."

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Sokka asked Zuko when he'd neared him with the tray of tea. They both walked off towards where we'd left Appa to rest and soon disappeared past the pillars.

"You've been pretty quiet lately, Kala. What's up?" Aang asked after they had gone.

"It's nothing," I answered with a smile. "I've just got a lot on my mind, mostly about what I've been learning."

"How's the Firebending training?"

"Good, actually. Zuko says I've been getting it down pretty well. I've got some time before I can actually say I've _mastered_ it, but I definitely seem to be learning it quickly."

"Good thing, too. You're probably going to need it after all when you guys have to fight the Fire Lord," Toph answered.

"I just hope the two of us combined will be enough," I answered somberly.

When morning came, it didn't take long for us to notice that neither Zuko nor Sokka were around camp. Aang, Katara, Toph and I began searching for them, while the others began with their duties to help keep the courtyard tidy. It wasn't long before Katara found a slip of paper that was being held by the still sleeping Momo.

"What does it say?" I asked.

"'Need meat. Gone fishing. Back in a few days. Sokka and Zuko. One more thing, Kala, practice your Firebending while I'm gone. Do twenty sets of fire fists and ten hot squats every time you hear a badger-frog croak. Zuko,'" she read. Almost immediately after she finished reading the note, I heard a croak echo from somewhere in the air temple. I sighed softly in annoyance.

"They croak every hour on the hour, and he knows it," I muttered as I walked off to practice.

* * *

A few days passed by uneventfully. My time was primarily spent practicing, when the only time I got a break was when the sun set. Badger-frogs only croaked during the daylight hours. We had finished preparing dinner when a Fire Nation war balloon like the ones we'd seen at the end of the invasion descended into the canyon where we were located. Before we could attack, Sokka called out to us, letting us know we weren't being attacked.

"What are you doing in this thing? What happened to the war balloon?" Katara asked when Sokka and Zuko stepped onto the courtyard.

"It got destroyed," Zuko answered plainly.

"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip," Aang said.

"Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asked.

I looked down at her with a confused expression. I supposed she couldn't tell just what kind of contraption they had flown home in, because it was floating and she couldn't 'see' it with her Earthbending. But it was clear to me they hadn't gone on a simple fishing trip. What I was more concerned with was exactly _where_ they _had_ gone.

"I did," Sokka answered. "The best meat of all. The meat of friendship and fatherhood." As he finished saying this, three people stepped off the war balloon. One was Chief Hakoda, but I didn't recognize the girl or other man that had come with him.

"I'm new. What's up, everybody?" the man I didn't recognize asked as he waved with a grin on his face. He was mostly ignored when Katara ran to hug her father.

"How are you here?" she asked him when they pulled apart. "What is going on?"

"Where did you two go?" I asked carefully.

"We kind of went to a Fire Nation prison," Sokka answered and my eyes widened. While Katara pulled her brother in to join the family hug, I continued to stare at Zuko in shock.

"You did _what_?" I demanded of him.

"It's a long story," Zuko defended.

"One that I expect to hear in full while we're training tomorrow." I then turned to gaze at Katara, Sokka and Chief Hakoda in their tender moment. It made me yearn for that kind of contact with my own father.

"You mean you guys didn't get any meat?" Toph asked.

* * *

**Ooh... I think the part of this I enjoyed most was the beginning, where I had the whole thing about Zelia and Lady Ursa. That was an emotional one, and actually kind of a struggle but I liked it. Anyway, please R&R.**


	45. Chapter 44

**Well, this story has been completely written, and all that's left to do is publish it one day at a time. I have to say, I really do love how this story ended, and I think it really just wraps everything up. Hopefully you guys will think so when you get there. For now, here is another chapter, taking place during "The Southern Raiders" episode. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. Only Kala and the other OCs are mine.  
**

* * *

Days passed and I gradually felt closer to Zuko through him teaching me and our time spent together. I couldn't have been happier, really. It felt like coming home, having my best friend again. But it was different now in that Zuko was happier than he'd been when we were traveling together. It almost felt like how he was when his mother was still alive. I had him back, and this time, I knew he wasn't going to be leaving.

Our days together were spent training, during which time I improved steadily with my Firebending. Our breaks in between were spent talking, just like we'd always done before what happened in Ba Sing Se. Zuko told me what had been going on in the Fire Nation before he'd left, and I told him how I'd been faring with my new friends. It was nice to be able to talk to him again. It was even nicer to know that I didn't have to hold back what I said anymore. No longer was I his servant, which meant I was free to tell him _exactly_ what I thought when he'd brought up Mai.

It wasn't that I was jealous—maybe a little—but I'd never particularly cared for the girl during the times that I had seen her in the palace. Ty Lee, on the other hand, was someone I enjoyed. But Zuko had assured me that things between him and Mai were over, which had then led into a conversation about him and me. It was at that point we wordlessly entered the 'let's see how this goes' stage. While neither of us would outright say we were dating, we were willing to give it a try.

It was a weird phase for me. I couldn't say if it was atypical for Zuko as well, but since the closest I'd come to a boyfriend was Kayl back in the Northern Water Tribe, I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't act much different around Zuko now than I had when we'd been traveling together, though that might have been because I'd known him for so long and we'd gotten so close over the years. I figured the deeper connection would come with time.

About a week after this had taken place, we had all been awakened soon after dawn by and explosion. My eyes snapped open at the sound and I sat up to see that Aang had stopped a direct attack from killing us all. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched three giant war balloons rise from inside the canyon. More bombs were thrown in our direction, and Aang used his Airbending to close large metal doors to protect us from the explosives. It didn't do much for the ceiling, however, and it began crumbling from the impacts.

"Watch out!" Zuko yelled as he pushed Katara out of the way of the debris.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. I could only assume Zuko had answered when I heard from behind the dust, "Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now!"

"We've gotta get out of here. Toph, can you and Haru make a tunnel through the wall?" I asked.

"You got it," the blind girl answered as she and Haru used their Earthbending on the nearest wall. "Come on! We can get out through here!" We all began running to the escape route they had created, with Aang pulling on Appa's harness to lead him. That was when I saw Zuko standing alone by the metal doors.

"What are you doing?" Aang asked him.

"Go on! I'll hold them off!" Zuko answered. "This is a family visit." He ran off to fight and my eyes widened in shock.

"Zuko, wait!" I yelled. Sokka and Katara ran over to Aang and grabbed Appa's harness to help him.

"Come on! We've gotta get out of here!" Sokka yelled over the sounds of our quickly crumbling protection. Zuko had disappeared outside while we were trying to pull Appa into the tunnel.

"I can't get him to go in there!" Aang yelled. "Appa _hates_ tunnels.

"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here," Katara told him.

"We'll have to find a way."

"We need to split up," Sokka said and ran to our friends who were waiting for us. "Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship."

"No!" Katara yelled defiantly from where she stood. "The Fire Nation _can't_ separate our family again!"

"It'll be okay. It's not forever," Chief Hakoda answered.

Toph ran over to join us and we climbed on top of Appa with Aang sitting on the bison's head to steer. Sokka hugged his father briefly before taking the hand of the girl he'd rescued from Boiling Rock, whom I'd learned was Suki, and boarding the flying bison as well. While our friends ran down the tunnel, we worked on finding a way out of what had previously been our shelter.

"I can clear that away and we can fly out through there!" Toph yelled after she had assessed the wall in front of us. She quickly boarded Appa as we prepared to make our break for it.

"Um, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction," Suki commented.

"We'll get through. Let's go," Aang answered and directed Appa towards the wall. Toph used her Earthbending to create a sort of rock shield around Appa's head when we flew through, which fell apart only after we'd avoided attacks from a blue flame. It was Azula who had come to attack us. As we stared back, we could see another airship rising behind her, this one with Zuko on it. Was he seriously planning to fight her on top of those balloons?

My question was answered when I watched Zuko run across the airship he was on and leap over to Azula's, blocking the flames the through at him all the way. I soon tore my gaze from the fight as Firebenders from the other airships began attacking us as we flew. Katara and I blocked the attacks with our Waterbending, though I would occasionally disperse the flames, as I'd learned to do during my training with Zuko. An explosion sounded from where Zuko and Azula had been fighting and I saw Zuko fall off the edge of the airship.

"Aang!" I yelled.

"I'm on it!" he answered and steered Appa towards Zuko's falling form. I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the saddle with the rest of us, but I didn't let go even after he was safely aboard. We watched as Azula continued to plummet.

"She's… not gonna make it," Zuko whispered, sounding almost saddened by the realization. Moments later, Azula used her Firebending to propel herself towards the cliff-side, where she was able to stop her fall. "Of course she did." Once we were safely out of sight from Azula and her air ships, I finally let go of my hold on Zuko's arm.

"That was reckless, Zuko. You could've gotten yourself killed!" I reprimanded.

"I had to distract her long enough to give everyone a chance at escaping."

"Just… please be more careful."

* * *

That night, we'd found a secluded place to set up camp again. This place was close to the shore and had some cliffs that overlooked the ocean. It really was a beautiful setting, though the feel of it was a bit tarnished by the fact that we had just come from a now destroyed Air Temple.

"Wow, camping," Aang said as we were gathered around the fire. "It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?"

"If you really want it to feel like old times, I could chase you around a while and try to capture you," Zuko answered jokingly, bringing laughter from everyone but Katara. Once the laughter subsided, Sokka lifted his cup.

"To Zuko. Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he'd be our hero!"

"Here, here!" the rest of us cheered, raising our cups as well. I took Zuko's hand in mine while Aang nudged him in a friendly manner.

"I'm touched," he said humbly. "I don't deserve this."

"Yeah, no kidding," Katara answered coldly and stood to leave the group.

"What's with her?" Sokka asked. Zuko released my hand as he stood to follow Katara.

"I wish I knew," he said before walking after her.

"What's with him?"

"Katara's still bitter about the past, and Zuko's trying to redeem himself," I answered as I stared after them. "What I don't get it why _she's_ still so upset. I mean, out of all of us, I should be the one who's holding a grudge against him. But he's proven himself to me and I forgave him."

"Kala and Zuko, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-" Toph began teasingly.

"I have not!"

"You're _lying_." I blushed furiously and quickly dropped the argument, telling my friends I was going to bed as I walked to my tent.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to find Katara and Zuko getting ready to leave on Appa. I approached them as they were talking to Aang, and I was surprised by what I heard.

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me," Katara said firmly.

"Sokka told me the story of what happened. I know who did it, and I know how to find him," Zuko added.

"Um, and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?" Aang asked them. Katara scoffed.

"I knew you wouldn't understand," she answered coldly.

"Wait! Stop! I _do_ understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the Sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?"

"She needs this, Aang," Zuko told him. "This is about getting closure and justice."

"I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge."

"Fine! Maybe it is!" Katara snapped. "Maybe that's what I need. Maybe that's what he deserves."

"Aang, what do you think has been my motivation to fight Ozai all this time? He's caused so much pain and I plan to make him suffer just as I have. Katara's reason for going after this man is the same as my reason for going after Ozai," I said.

"You two sound like Jet."

"Don't compare me to him," I growled.

"It's not the same," Katara answered at the same time. "Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster!"

"Katara, she was my mother too," Sokka interjected, "but I think Aang might be right."

"Then you didn't love her the way I did!"

"Now, _that's_ going too far!" I reprimanded.

"The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat-viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself," Aang said.

"That's cute, but this isn't Air Temple preschool," Zuko answered. "It's the real world."

"Now that I know he's out there. Now that I know we could find him, I feel like I have no choice," Katara said.

"Katara, you _do_ have a choice: forgiveness," Aang answered.

"That's the same as doing nothing," Zuko retorted.

"No, it's not. It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive."

"It's not just hard. It's impossible," Katara told him and walked away.

Katara and Zuko had disappeared in the middle of the night, not that I had expected anything less. Katara needed to find the man who had killed her mother. Whether she had it in herself to kill _him_ was something I couldn't be sure of. After all, she'd been so upset by Bloodbending. And I'd figured Zuko would have gone with her because not only did he know exactly how to find what they needed, but he wanted her to trust him.

* * *

A few days passed and they returned from their trip, both completely unharmed. When I'd asked Zuko, he told me that they had indeed found the man they were looking for, but Katara couldn't kill him in the end. I was, admittedly, a little surprised to hear this, considering the conversation she'd had with Aang before leaving. But I didn't dwell too long on it. I knew it had been Katara's choice, and I certainly didn't think anything less of her for not killing that man.

"Do you really plan to kill my father?" Zuko asked the evening after he had returned with Katara. We had been sitting together on the cliffs overlooking the sea, and his question had caught me by surprise.

"I don't know," I answered honestly after a moment. "For a long time, I've wanted to. I wanted to kill him the moment I saw what he did to Lady Ursa, but I obviously wouldn't have stood a chance then and I knew it. But even during that time we were searching for Aang together, I couldn't really imagine myself killing him. I guess most of that came from how much I knew you wanted his approval. Now, I just don't know. I guess I'm not _planning_ to kill him, but… if I'm being perfectly honest, I won't be upset if he is dead at the end of this, even if he is your father." There was silence between us for a moment. "Do you think you would be able to fight him if you had to?"

"It's not my destiny to defeat him," he answered.

"Doesn't mean you won't have to face him at all. If that time comes, would you be able to fight him?"

"I stood against him during the invasion, before I left to join you. He tried to kill me with lightning." I gasped softly, my hand instinctively gripping Zuko's tightly. I didn't want to think of the possibility of him dying, especially not at the hands of his father. "I was able to redirect it, like Uncle had taught me." I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding and looked up at Zuko with a gentle smile.

"So, it sounds like you'd be able to fight him, if it came down to it," I whispered. "I hope it doesn't come down to it, though."

"Aang said that violence is never the answer to a problem, and that's when I asked him how he was going to face my father. He didn't have an answer."

"I've learned that Aang likes to take the peaceful way out whenever possible. Unfortunately, that's probably not going to be the case when we fight Ozai. I've already told you that I'm going to use everything I have against him. Don't think I won't."

"I know you won't," Zuko answered, though I couldn't tell if he was pleased with my answer or not. There was a moment of silence between us again. "Can I ask you something, Kala?"

"You've been asking me quite a bit," I said with a chuckle. "But sure."

"When we were looking for the leader of the Southern Raiders, Katara did something that controlled someone's body. What was that?"

"It's called Bloodbending. She manipulated the water in the human body to control it. It's a lot like operating a puppet. I'm actually surprised she used it. She was distraught when she had to use it against Hama for survival. She'd never wanted to learn it."

"Can you do that?"

"Yes, I can, but only on the full moon, when my bending is at its most powerful. And before you ask, no, I don't have a problem with Bloodbending. By the time I met Hama, I'd already resolved to learn everything I could in order to defeat Ozai. She taught Katara and me how to Bloodbend." More silence. "Does it bother you?"

Zuko smiled down at me. "Only if you use it against me," he answered jokingly. I giggled in response and leaned forward to kiss him softly.

In that moment, I felt truly happy. My boyfriend was my best friend, and he was perfectly okay with how I was, even with the Bloodbending and the fact that I wouldn't mind if his father ceased to exist. I don't think he wanted his father dead, but he wasn't mad at me for feeling the way I did about Ozai. For the first time, I felt like I wasn't being judged for who I was or how I felt. I felt accepted.

I felt loved.

* * *

**Yeah... I couldn't resist a nice, tender moment between them especially because I hadn't been able to write one in a long while. lol. Please R&R.  
**


	46. Chapter 45

**Well, we're in the home stretch now. Ember Island Players and then the finale four (plus my epilogue). I actually had a bit of fun with this chapter, primarily with some commentary and thoughts on the play itself. I hope you enjoy this final breather chapter before the finale.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and the other OCs I include.  
**

* * *

We'd decided to take up residence in the Royal Family's vacation home on Ember Island, a place I remembered from my childhood in the Palace. I could only recall going to the island once or twice with Zuko and his family. They never went after that. Back then, everyone was happy. Now, the beach house was empty, giving my friends and me the perfect place to hide until we were ready to face Ozai again. Hiding in plain sight, really. Zuko and I had taken to practicing my Firebending in the courtyard, where we had ample space and little to actually set alight, should I miscalculate my control over the flames I created.

"Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asked as Zuko and I finished a training session.

"Ozai hasn't been here in years. I wouldn't be surprised if he forgot about this place, really," I answered with a shrug as I grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off my body.

"It's the last place anyone would think to look for us," Zuko added from where he sat at the fountain.

"You guys are _not_ gonna believe this!" Sokka announced as he and Suki came into the courtyard. Since our departure from the Western Air Temple, my friends had taken to wearing their Fire Nation attire again, and Suki had found an outfit to wear inside the beach house. "There's a play about us."

"We were just in town and we found this poster," Suki added as Sokka opened the poster to show us.

"What? How is that possible?" Katara asked.

"Listen to this," Sokka said as he turned the poster around to read it. "The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage."

"Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players," Suki finished reading. Zuko groaned in response.

"My mother used to take us to see them," he said. "They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year."

"Oh! I remember that!" I exclaimed. "They weren't very good at all." I then looked over the poster once more. "But what I'm confused about is why they don't mention me. I mean, I'm the other Half. Unless Pu-on Tim didn't know that I was a Half when he wrote this."

"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?" Katara asked her brother.

"Come on! A day at the theatre? This is the kind of wacky, time-wasting nonsense I've been missing," he answered excitedly.

"I don't see why not," I added. "So long as we make sure to keep our faces hidden so that no one will recognize us, we should be fine. Besides, I'm kind of curious as to how the Ember Island Players will butcher this story."

* * *

That night, we all went to the Ember Island Theater and took our seats in the balcony, where we'd be least likely to be spotted. I took my seat between Zuko and Aang in the front row of the balcony, while Sokka and Suki sat behind us. Toph was on the other side of Katara, though she wasn't happy about our choice in seating.

"Why are we sitting in the nose-bleed section?" she asked as the lights dimmed. "My feet can't see a thing from up here."

"Don't worry. I'll tell your feet what's happening," Katara answered jokingly. The curtains were raised to reveal what appeared to be a stage version of Katara and Sokka paddling a canoe. The real counterparts were excited to be seeing themselves on stage. If this production was anything like Love Amongst the Dragons, however, I knew they wouldn't be pleased for long.

"Sokka, my only brother," Katara's actress began dramatically, "we constantly roam the icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything fulfilling."

"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach. I'm starving!" Actor Sokka answered, bringing laughter from the audience. I turned to Katara and Sokka to see their grins quickly disappear. Well, Zuko and I _had _warned them prior to coming to the theater.

"Is food the only thing on your mind?"

"Well, I'm trying to get it out of my mind, and into my mouth. I'm starving!"

"This is pathetic," Sokka hissed from behind us. "My jokes are _way_ funnier than this." Toph laughed in response.

"I think he's got you pegged," she answered.

"Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears!" Actress Katara continued, her speech and actions showing how she was _clearly_ over-acting. "Still, we cannot give up hope, is all we have! And we must never relinquish it, even to our dying breath!" She broke into dramatic tears and I shuddered, fully remembering why I'd disliked Love Amongst the Dragons so much. The acting was the same.

"Well, that's just silly. I don't sound like that," Katara muttered from where she was sitting.

"Oh, man, this writer's a genius," Toph said with a laugh in her voice. Suddenly, a bright light lit up the stage, and what I could only assume was meant to be an iceberg appeared behind the canoe.

"It appears to be someone frozen in ice, perhaps for a hundred years," Actress Katara said, giving the verbal clue to the audience.

"But who? Who is the boy in the iceberg?" Actor Sokka asked.

Aang sat forward in anticipation at his entrance in the play. Katara's actress used a theatre-version of Waterbending to open the iceberg, revealing who we all knew was meant to be Aang. What amused me was the fact that he was played by a woman, something I'd heard was quite common in theater for characters that were young boys.

"Who _are_ you, frozen boy?" Actress Katara asked in astonishment. Aang's actress giggled childishly.

"I'm the Avatar, silly, here to spread joy and fun," she answered as she danced in circles.

"Wait," Aang said from beside me. "Is that a _woman_ playing me?" Something that I could only guess was meant to be Appa appeared on the stage and began walking around the bottom of the iceberg.

Actress Katara gasped. "An Airbender! My heart is so full of hope that it's making me tearbend!" She once again broke into tears.

"My stomach is so empty that it's making _me_ tearbend," Actor Sokka added and began crying along with his 'sister'. "I need meat!"

"But wait! Is that a platter of meaty dumplings?" Actress Aang asked, pointing in the distance. When Sokka's actor asked where, she began giggling childishly again. "Did I mention that I'm an incurable prankster?" The audience laughed, but I could see Aang was clearly unhappy with this representation of himself.

"I don't do that. That's not what I'm like. And I'm _not_ a woman," he exclaimed, bringing more laughter from Toph.

"Oh, they nailed you, Twinkletoes," she answered. The next scene depicted a Fire Nation ship with Zuko, Iroh and me on top of it. Actor Zuko was staring out through a looking glass, clearly on his search for Aang, while Actor Iroh was eating cake. My actress seemed to merely be standing close behind Actor Zuko.

"Prince Zuko, you _must_ try this cake," Actor Iroh insisted.

"I don't have _time_ to stuff my face! I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!" Actor Zuko yelled and I couldn't help but chuckle at how he was represented.

"Well, while you do that, maybe _I'll_ capture another slice."

"You sicken me!"

"They make me look totally stiff and humorless," Zuko muttered beside me.

"Actually, Zuko, you kind of _were_ like that," I answered with a chuckle. "You were _so_ fixated on getting Aang."

"But I wasn't _that_ bad."

"Let's forget about the Avatar and get massages," Actor Iroh suggested to his 'nephew'.

"How could you say that?" Actor Zuko demanded and I found it increasingly more difficult to hide my laughter. Zuko slouched in his seat, realizing I was right.

More scenes played, primarily depicting Aang's travels with Katara and Sokka. I actually enjoyed watching their journey, from meeting Momo, to solving riddles with the King of Omashu. They showed our encounter with the pirates, though the scene seemed to leave out much of Zuko, Iroh and me in that scene. A later scene depicted the actress playing Aang having been captured by Zuko's actor. This surprised be, as I knew there had never been a moment where Zuko had actually managed to capture Aang for any length of time. Suddenly, a giant blue mask with white trimming appeared, and I recognized it as the mask I'd found in Zuko's room back on the Fire Nation ship when I'd been traveling with him. That felt like a lifetime ago.

"I'm the Blue Spirit, the scourge of the Fire Nation here to save the Avatar!" the blue mask yelled and ran forward, swinging his twin blades wildly. The actors playing Fire Nation soldiers collapsed as though wounded, and Actor Zuko soon backed away while Actress Aang was freed from her restraints.

"My hero!" she exclaimed as she jumped onto the top of the Blue Spirit's mask and they walked off stage.

"Huh. So _that's_ what the mask was for," I murmured.

"You knew about that?" Zuko asked, looking over at me in surprise.

"I knew about the mask, but I didn't know you saved Aang."

A later scene depicted my time in the Northern Water Tribe, where I had mastered Waterbending. One of the scenes taking place there was of Kayl and me on the night after my first day of training with Master Pakku. Kayl's actor was standing beside my actress on a white bridge when he kissed her.

"Kala, you're like the wolf because you're fierce… even though you don't say much. And you're strong… even though I haven't really seen you fight… And I love you!" he exclaimed. A deep frown crossed my features at how thoroughly they had butchered that moment. Kayl had been the first person to really see my worth, and I hated how that had been mocked in this play.

"You didn't tell me-" Zuko began.

"That's not how it happened," I answered firmly. The next scene was of Zhao's invasion of the Northern Water Tribe. It didn't entirely follow what had happened, but it certainly gave a good enough idea for the audience to understand that Zhao had killed the Moon Spirit, Tui. That was when my actress had stepped forward with an angry expression on her face.

"You should have never underestimated the quiet one! Because I'm Half the Avatar!" she screamed and quickly put on a costume that was meant to imitate what I'd looked like when I had allowed La to fight back using my body.

Zhao's actor gasped and I realized that my being a Half was meant to be a plot twist in this tale. I watched with saddened eyes as my actress killed Zhao and destroyed a number of ships onstage before the curtain fell, signaling the intermission. A shudder rippled down my spine as my friends and I walked out into the lobby of the theater.

"So far, this intermission is the best part of the play," Zuko muttered once we were outside.

"Apparently, the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!" Sokka complained.

"Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics," Suki answered teasingly. This completely flew over Sokka's head.

"I know!"

"At least the Sokka actor kind of looks like you," Aang retorted. "That woman playing the Airbender doesn't resemble me at all."

"I dunno. You _are_ more in touch with your feminine side than most guys," Toph answered, causing Aang to growl in annoyance.

"Relax, Aang," Katara said calmly. "They're not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy, crybaby who can't resist giving over-emotional speeches about hope all the time." She was met by silence.

"I can't really argue with how they've portrayed me so far," I murmured, "even though I hate what I did at the Northern Water Tribe."

"What are you talking about? That was awesome!" Sokka exclaimed.

"But I killed so many people needlessly. All the men from Zuko's ship who had traveled with me for the two and a half years were in that fleet. They were all so kind to me, and I killed them all."

"Is that what you were ashamed of when we were with Guru Patik?" Aang asked and I nodded.

"But, like I said, that actress is pretty much doing her job right for the first act. I didn't speak up much, and the only time I really did was when I was angry at Zhao. I guess she's got an easy part, not having to remember a whole lot of lines."

"It's obvious that the playwright did his research," Toph said. "I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth."

* * *

The second act soon began, and opened with Aang, Katara and Sokka in the Earth Kingdom, searching for a teacher for Aang. The Airbending actress was flown around the room by a rope, only to report that she hadn't found anyone to teach her Earthbending.

"You can't find an Earthbending master in the sky," a very masculine voice said as a hugely muscular man dressed in Toph's clothes emerged from beneath a prop boulder. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight of it.

"Who are you?" Actress Aang asked. Toph's actor spit before answering.

"My name's Toph, because it sounds like 'tough'. And that's just what I am."

"Wait a minute," Toph said from where she was seated. "I sound like a _guy_. A really buff _guy_."

"Well, Toph, what you hear up there is the truth," Katara said, imitating what Toph had told us out in the lobby. "It hurts doesn't it?"

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have cast it any other way! At least it's not a flying bald lady." Aang frowned in his seat at her statement.

"So, you're blind?" Aang's actress asked as she waved her hands in front of Actor Toph's face.

"I can see you doing that. I see everything that you see, except I don't _see_ like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth," he answered and screamed in the other performers' faces, shocking the entire audience. "There. I got a pretty good look at you."

A later scene took place within Ba Sing Se, and Jet made a reappearance since we'd last seen him when he'd met Katara. Now, his actor wore glasses that were meant to make his eyes look crazed, and he walked around the stage as though in a daze. From the other events taking place before this, I could only guess this had happened after I'd gotten him arrested by the Dai Li.

"No! Jet! What did they _do_ to you?" Actress Aang asked in a panicked tone of voice.

"Must… Serve… Earth King!" Actor Jet said as he swung around wildly, his hook hands nearly hitting Actor Sokka. "Must… _Destroy_!" As he finished this, a rock prop fell on him from above, which I could only assume was meant to signify that he was crushed. I blinked a couple times at the stage.

"Did Jet just… die?" I asked, confused by what I'd just seen.

"You know, it was _really_ unclear," Sokka answered. My gaze fell for a moment.

"I never meant for that to happen…" I hadn't liked Jet, and I had no problem getting him arrested, but it had never been my intention to get him killed in the process. It wasn't long before another scene came on, this one taking place in the crystal caves beneath Ba Sing Se. This had been where Iroh, Aang and I had found Zuko before he betrayed me for his old life in the Fire Nation. It showed him and Katara alone among the crystals.

"You know, Prince Zuko, I really find you attractive," Actress Katara said.

"You don't have to make fun of me!" Actor Zuko snapped.

"But I _mean_ it. I've had eyes for you since the day you first captured me." Zuko and Katara edged away from each other on the bench we were sitting on, which caused Zuko to be even closer to me.

"Wait! I thought you were the Airbender's girl!"

Actress Katara laughed as though the thought were ridiculous. "The Airbender? Why, he's like a little brother to me. I certainly don't think of him in a _romantic_ way. Besides, how could he _ever_ find out about this?" The two performers embraced on stage and I glanced up at Zuko.

"You never told me about-" I began teasingly.

"That's not how it happened," Zuko answered quickly. I couldn't tell if it was because he was embarrassed or if he didn't want me to think that he and Katara had had a similar conversation in the caves. I supposed I wouldn't really be angry at him if they had, but that may have only been because I was fairly certain they hadn't. Katara had been quite vocal for a while about her dislike—even hatred at times—of Zuko.

The next scene depicted Zuko's betrayal, in which his actor shoved Actor Iroh and my actress to the ground, spiting insults as he joined Azula. I could tell Zuko was upset by this scene by the way he was leaning against the rail of the balcony with a dejected expression on his face. I rested a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"You didn't really say that, did you?" Katara asked.

"I might as well have," he answered.

We continued to watch as the rest of the fight within the crystal caverns played out. Actress Aang went into the Avatar State, but was shot down by Actress Azula's 'lightning' streamers. Interestingly, his subsequent rescue by Katara and me was not included, as the Fire Nation Princess announced that the Avatar was dead. I could only guess that this was a way to lead into the third act, where Aang and I would be returning as joined forces. The intermission came and my friends left our seats to go to the lobby, while I walked over to the restroom. When I returned, I could hear Toph speaking, presumably to Zuko.

"You _have_ redeemed yourself to your uncle, and Kala too. You don't realize it, but you already have," she said.

"How do you know?" Zuko asked.

"Because I once had a _long_ conversation with the two of them, and all they would talk about was you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and it was kind of annoying."

"Oh, sorry."

"But it was also very sweet. All your uncle wanted was for you to find your own path and see the light, and all Kala wanted was for you to be happy. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud, and Kala's pretty happy since you guys are together now." Toph's speech was followed by what sounded like a punch, which was then proceeded by an exclamation by Zuko.

"What was _that_ for?" he asked.

"That's how I show affection." I stepped out from behind the corner I was listening from, just as a little boy in an Aang costume ran in front of the two of them.

"Your Zuko costume's pretty good, but your scar's on the wrong side," he said.

"The scar's _not_ on the wrong side!" Zuko yelled and pulled the hood of his cloak up. I giggled lightly as I neared them.

"Don't let it bother you too much. He's just a kid who doesn't know any better," I said gently. "Well, the final act's about to start. Shall we take our seats and see how this play finishes our story?"

* * *

We all took our seats again, excluding Aang, though I figured he'd come back whenever he wanted. During that time, we watched me join Aang and the others and travel into the Fire Nation. Katara was shown as the Painted Lady, while Sokka made his sword after training with Master Piandao, and we saw Combustion Man perish, though it took place before he would have actually disappeared from our lives. I wasn't complaining. Just before the invasion started, Aang returned to take a seat behind me and next to Sokka, who recapped what he'd missed.

"I just want to let you know, Aang, that I'll always love you… like a brother," Actress Katara said over-dramatically as she and Actress Aang stood on top of one of the submarines. The Airbender's actress smiled brightly.

"I wouldn't want it any other way!" she answered.

"Not quite how that happened," I murmured with a chuckle. The invasion took place, with the Fire Nation Palace being deserted and Actor Zuko saying that he wanted to join the other performers, though it was a bit premature. They all ran off the stage together, sufficiently catching up with all the major events that had taken place up to this point.

"I guess that's it. The play's caught up to the present now," Sokka said as he stood.

"Wait, the play's not over," Suki whispered as she pulled him back down to sit.

"But it is over, unless… this is the future!"

"Hush, Sokka. This is probably how the playwright predicts the war to end," I whispered. The play skipped ahead to Sozin's Comet flying overhead, and Actor Zuko was chosen to fight Actress Azula while Aang's and my actresses were sent to face the Fire Lord.

"You are no longer my brother!" Actress Azula yelled. "You are an enemy!" A stage version of Firebending battle took place, but Actor Zuko was soon engulf in false flames as he fell to the ground and disappeared, likely through a trap door. It was all meant to show him dying by his sister's hand. The audience cheered, but I could only scowl in response. My hand instinctively reached for Zuko's and gripped it tightly.

"That's _not_ going to happen," I growled. The scene then shifted to the fight between the Fire Lord and both Halves of the Avatar.

"So, you have both mastered your respective elements," the false Fire Lord said, though it sounded more like a presumption than a question.

"Yeah! And you're going down!" Actress Aang yelled. My actress remained silent, but nodded in agreement. I could only assume the playwright had thought I was near mute with the exception of my few lines interspersed like a rare spice.

"No! It is _you_ two who are going down! You see, you are too late! The comet is already here and I'm unstoppable!"

A fight began, but I quickly noticed that the playwright had decided not to take into account the fact that Aang and I had been previously stated to have mastered our elements. Actress Aang only used a stager version of Airbending, while my actress only seemed to use Waterbending. Suddenly a wave of 'fire' came from stage right and engulfed the Actresses playing the Avatar Halves, effectively snuffing out their lives with an overdramatic end. Zuko's hand tightened around mine and I glanced up to see him frowning at the stage. He seemed far from pleased with the outcome of this battle. The final statement from the Fire Lord's actor rang in my ears even after we had left the theater.

"The world is _mine_."

As we began walking back to the beach house we now resided in, all of us made a comment on the play. We said how it was terrible, depressing and disheartening. Only Sokka had something positive to say as we walked home.

"But the effects were decent."

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	47. Chapter 46

**The first of the finale four. Can you guys believe I finally made it? Almost there, man! Hahaha! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters.  
**

* * *

It was three days until the arrival of Sozin's comet, which meant I had to ensure I had mastered the element of fire in that time for Aang and me to defeat him. With Zuko's help, I was growing by leaps and bounds. In the front of the beach house we all lived in, I practiced my Firebending, with my friends watching from the front steps. Only Zuko was standing nearer where I was, calling out instructions to help me with my form.

"More ferocious!" he yelled. "Imagine striking through your opponent's heart!" I could've laughed, considering my opponent would be Ozai, and striking through his heart would surely kill him.

"Working… on it," I answered between breaths as I continued Firebending.

"Now let me hear you roar like a tiger-dillo!"

I smirked and unleashed a roar, as though I was screaming at Ozai for all the wrong he had done. As I was, flames shot forth from my hands and mouth. I felt so empowered, and so confident in myself. It was the first time I felt so sure of my abilities, and my control over my elements. No longer was I the quiet, timid servant girl depicted in the play we'd seen, but a confident young woman with the strength of Half the Avatar. Zuko smiled and nodded his approval when I turned to face him.

"Who wants a nice, cool glass of watermelon juice?" Katara offered, holding up two large watermelons with straws sticking out of them.

"I will once my lesson's over," I answered with a smile.

"Come on, Zuko. Let her take a break. What's the big deal?" Suki asked.

"Fine, if you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail-sloths all day, then go ahead!" Zuko yelled and I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Maybe Zuko's right. Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change that. Beach party!" Sokka yelled as he stripped down to his swimming attire.

"I'll join you guys later so I can work with my Waterbending again," I answered. "For now, I'm going to finish up my Firebending lesson."

"Why don't you relax for a little bit?" Aang asked.

"Because I want to make sure I'm ready when we face Ozai. You guys have fun. I'll catch up with you later." With that, I ran off after Zuko to continue my lesson.

"Why aren't any of them preparing to face my father? They should know the comet is arriving soon!" Zuko exclaimed, clearly frustrated with the others.

"Zuko, let's just finish my lesson. Then we can worry about what's going on with them," I suggested. I didn't want to waste any of my time that I could be spending mastering Firebending. Now that we were so close, it was time to work harder than I had before to prepare myself.

Zuko and I began sparring, though I wasn't allowed to use my Waterbending this time. It was entirely a duel of flames. Not as serious as an Agni Kai, as it wasn't a real duel, but serious enough that I would need to employ everything I'd learned up to this point. As we fought, I thought back to all the times I'd seen Zuko Firebend, to the time I spent learning from Iroh, and now what I'd learned with Zuko as my teacher. My movements still held the flow of a Waterbender when I fought, but that wasn't necessarily something bad, as Zuko had learned when Iroh taught him how to redirect lightning.

Our fight continued until we eventually came to the beach, through a careful balance of offensive and defensive movement from both of us. I was growing tired, but I wasn't about to let this end yet. I would grow tired during the final battle, but that didn't mean I could just stop. I had to build my endurance. Our flames exploded on the sands of the beach, though we were able to avoid our friends who were relaxing. But that all stopped when one of Zuko's flames accidentally destroyed a sand-sculpture that Sokka had been making.

"What is _wrong _with you two?" Katara demanded. "You guys need to be more careful!"

"What's wrong with us?" Zuko asked incredulously, and I could tell our sparring session had been brought to an abrupt end. "What's wrong with all of you? How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away?" The others merely stared at him, as though what he was speaking was nonsense. "Why are you all staring at me like I'm crazy?"

"About Sozin's Comet," Aang began. "I was actually going to wait to fight the Fire Lord until _after_ it came." My eyes narrowed in an instant.

"After?" I demanded. "You decided on this, but didn't think to consult me about it? Aang, we're supposed to work together to defeat him! How can we do that if you're making plans without at least _asking_ my opinion?"

"I don't think we're ready. Kala, you need more time to master Firebending."

"And, frankly, Aang's Earthbending could still use some work too," Toph added.

"So… you all knew Aang was gonna wait?" Zuko asked.

"Honestly, if Aang and Kala try to fight the Fire Lord right now, they're gonna lose. No offense," Sokka said.

"The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the war, but they pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can't get any worse," Katara answered. My hands clenched into fists at my side. How could I have been traveling with them all this time and they never _once_ thought to ask me what _I_ wanted to do about fighting Ozai? It was like they didn't think my opinion mattered. It was like I was the silent servant girl I once was all over again.

"You're wrong," Zuko told them. "It's about to get worse than you can even imagine. The day before the eclipse, my father asked me to attend an important war meeting. It was I'd dreamed about and wanted for so many years. My father had finally accepted me back." Zuko continued by telling us about how Azula had suggested they destroy the Earth Kingdom with the power of Sozin's Comet. And Ozai had fully agreed to the idea. "I wanted to speak out against his horrifying plan, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't. My whole life, I struggled to gain my father's love and acceptance, but once I had it I realized I lost myself getting there. I'd forgotten who I was."

"I don't blame you for not speaking out, Zuko. After what happened last time, I would've been afraid to so much as breathe," I whispered softly.

"I can't believe this," Katara murmured as she fell to her knees.

"I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but his plan is just _pure_ evil," Sokka added.

"What are we gonna do?" Aang asked.

"We're going to fight Ozai and put and end to him, because if we don't then there won't be a world to save anymore," I answered.

I thought back to the woman who'd comforted me as a child, and her resounding words: _Remember who you are, Kala_. I thought of Zelia, who had raised me and was killed because I'd made a choice that I believed was right. I thought of Yue and Kayl, two people I cared for so deeply that I'd lost. One to become a spirit who watched over me, and one due to matters of the heart. I thought of Song, who had showed us such kindness when we'd first arrived in the Earth Kingdom, and Granny Hwei for teaching me to _Remember the good_. I thought of Iroh, Master Pakku, Momma, Papa and Chief Hakoda. They had all been wonderful people that I loved in some form. I couldn't let the Fire Lord snuff out the lives of the ones that still remained in this world. I had to stop him. _We_ had to stop him, Aang and me.

"Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?" Aang demanded fiercely of Zuko.

"I didn't think I _had_ to," Zuko answered. "I assumed you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told me, or Kala apparently, that you decided to wait!"

"This is bad… This is _really_ bad."

"Aang," I began, "you keep forgetting that you're not going to be alone in this. I'm going to be right there with you, and I know our friend will too."

"Yeah!" Toph agreed. "If we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down."

"Alright!" Sokka exclaimed. "Team Avatar is _back_! Air, water, earth, fire, fan and sword!" I chuckled as he held up a palm frond like a blade.

"Fighting the Fire Lord is gonna be the hardest thing we've ever done together, but I wouldn't want to do it any other way," Aang answered with a smile.

* * *

Later in the day, Zuko and I were in the courtyard with Aang and Katara watching on the sidelines. Zuko had said he'd wanted to teach me one last thing, now that I was finally ready and could fully understand it.

"I'm going to teach you how to redirect lightning, just like Uncle taught me," he said and I grinned. Zuko began demonstrating as he continued speaking. "If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You turn your opponent's energy against them."

"I remember this, when we were back in the Earth Kingdom, after Iroh was hurt by Azula," I answered with a smile as I began mimicking Zuko's movements. "You said you redirected Ozai's lightning during the invasion. What did it feel like?"

"Exhilarating," Zuko answered as we stopped moving, "but terrifying. You feel so powerful holding that much energy in your body, but you know if you make the wrong move, it's over."

"Well, not _over_ over. I mean, there's always Katara and a little Spirit Water action," Aang said from where he was sitting beside Katara.

"Actually, I used it all up after Azula shot you," she answered, driving home the point that I truly needed to be careful if I had to redirect lightning. If I allowed it to pass through my heart, I would be dead.

"You'll have to take the Fire Lord's life before he takes yours," Zuko said, speaking to both Aang and me.

It didn't pass me by that Zuko had referred to his father by his title. It was like he was distancing himself from his father. Was it to show that he no longer cared for his father, or was it because he was trying to convince himself that he didn't care? I looked over at Aang to see an uneasy expression cross his features. I could tell that he still wanted to find a non-violent resolution to this war. I knew that wouldn't be possible, not with the way Ozai was. If you gave so much as an inch of an opening, he would take it and turn it against you in every way possible.

* * *

That evening, it was decided that we would all be training to prepare ourselves with some kind of plan for taking down Ozai. For the time being, we had a melon placed on top of a stick cross to stand in for the Fire Lord—which Sokka referred to as the Melon Lord—while Toph was the muscle that we would be working against. Sokka laid down the plan for us, and we quickly got into position to face the Melon Lord.

Sokka and Suki began as the distraction, while Zuko and Katara charged Toph straight on. Meanwhile, Aang and I were circling around in order to get a good shot at the Melon Lord, waiting for the right moment for us to attack.

"Now!" Sokka yelled. Aang and I leapt from behind a rocky formation and flew through the air. To my utter surprise and annoyance, Aang stopped his attack just inches from the Melon Lord's head, and I was left alone as my water sliced through the shoulder region and I used Firebending to set the robes alight. I quickly turned around with narrowed eyes as our friends ran up the hill to join us.

"What was that?" I demanded.

"I can't," Aang murmured.

"What's wrong with you?" Sokka yelled. "If this was the real deal, you'd be shot full of lightning right now!"

"Not to mention the fact that my attack wouldn't be nearly as successful on Ozai as it was on our Melon Lord!" I added angrily.

"I'm sorry, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself," Aang answered sadly. Sokka took his sword and sliced the Melon Lord's head in half.

"There. That's how it's done," he said coldly. My hand balled into a fist at my side again as I glared at Aang. Without a second thought, I raised my fist and punched him on the cheek, sending the other Half falling to the ground with a surprised yelp.

"I can't _believe_ you!" I screamed. "After everything Ozai has done, after all the pain and destruction we've both seen that has been caused by him, you _still_ can't do anything to make him repent for his sins? I've seen _too many_ people die because of that monster. I'm not going to let it happen anymore!"

I turned away and stormed off the training ground, leaving all my friends to stare after me wordlessly. I figured I'd shocked them with my outburst, but I couldn't find it in me to care anymore. My feet carried me to the beach, where I could stare out into the endless ocean to collect my thoughts. I wasn't sure how long I was out there, but I knew it was long after the sun had set.

"Kala," Zuko's voice said from behind me. I sighed softly, figuring someone would've come to find me sooner or later. I was glad it was Zuko, though, and not any of the others. I probably would've hit Aang again if he'd come to talk to me.

"I'm not going to apologize for hitting Aang," I told him, keeping my gaze on the sea. I wasn't surprised when Zuko came to sit beside me.

"I didn't come here to ask you to do that. I'm actually kind of glad you did. Someone was bound to, sooner or later. It might as well have been the one person that he can't fight back against. Katara was pretty upset with you, though."

"I figured she would be. She's really protective over Aang."

"So I've learned."

"What are they doing now?"

"We just had dinner. We saved some for you, since we knew you were trying to clear your head. Aang's still pretty conflicted about killing the Fire Lord. He says it goes against everything the monks taught him, and that he can't just kill someone, even if the world would be better without him."

"I can usually respect Aang's peaceful ways, but I just can't agree with him this time. Unless he can come up with a way to end this war without killing Ozai, I'm going to go through with it, whether he wants me to or not. I don't think he understands just how much I've been hurt by Ozai, because it's that pain that makes it so I have no qualms with killing your father." I sighed heavily once again and stared up at the moon. But it only served to remind me once again of all I've lost. Tears stung my eyes and I quickly wiped them away. I was tired of crying.

"I understand what you mean," Zuko whispered.

"I'm not sure you do, not in full at least. There have been so many people that I've lost because of this war. Some of them, I don't even know their names, but I care about them just the same. And it was your father, or your grandfather in one case, who brought their deaths." This time, I let the tears fall and leaned into Zuko as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Zuko didn't speak for a long time, and just let me cry for my losses. It wasn't until after I had finished that he finally spoke again.

"Let's head back inside. It's getting late."

* * *

The next morning, we began packing up all of our belongings on Appa to prepare to leave Ember Island. It was only after everything was packed that we realized Aang was missing, much to our panic. We all ran up to the room that the other Half had been staying in while on the island, but found nothing. We quickly split up in search for him, but he was nowhere in the house. We met back up on the balcony, where I saw Sokka holding Aang's glider.

"He left his staff… That's so strange," Sokka murmured.

"Aang's not in the house," Zuko said. "Let's check the beach." When we walked down to the sandy shore, all we found were footprints leading to the sea.

"So… he went for a midnight swim and never came back?" Suki suggested.

"Maybe he was captured," Katara said in a worried tone of voice.

"I don't think so. There's no sign of a struggle," Sokka answered.

"I think it's pretty clear. He's running away from his problems again," I muttered.

"But he left his glider and Appa."

"Then what happened to him?"

"It's pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a Spirit World journey."

"But if he was, wouldn't his body still be here?" Zuko asked.

"Besides, if there was something important for us to know before the battle, I feel like Roku would have drawn me to it by now," I added as Sokka realized the failing of his Spirit World idea.

"Then he's gotta be somewhere on Ember Island," Katara answered. "Let's split up and look for him." Toph immediately ran and grabbed Zuko's arm.

"I'm going with Zuko!" she called, earning confused looks from the rest of us. "What? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it's my turn." I shrugged and decided to go with Sokka to on Appa to look for the other Half. We flew around the island multiple times, but there was no sign of him.

"Where could he have gone?" Sokka asked.

"I told you. He ran away. He's afraid to face Ozai," I answered as we turned back around and landed Appa in front of the beach house, where the others were already waiting for us. They all wore dejected expressions.

"Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm guessing you didn't find Aang either."

"No. It's like he just… disappeared," Zuko answered.

"Hey! Wait a minute. Has anyone noticed that Momo's missing too?" Toph realized, causing Sokka to look around frantically.

"Oh no… I knew it was only a matter of time!" he yelled. "Appa ate Momo!" He then opened the bison's mouth, calling out to the little lemur.

"Sokka, Appa didn't eat Momo. He's probably with Aang," Katara told him.

"That's just what Appa wants you to think."

"Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka," Zuko ordered. "We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away!"

"What should we do, Zuko?" Katara asked.

"I dunno." The others continued to stare at him expectantly. "Why are you all looking at me?"

"Well, you are kinda the expert on tracking Aang."

"Yeah. If anyone's got any experience hunting him down, it's you," Toph added. Suddenly, an idea came into my mind.

"Wait, Zuko!" I exclaimed. "What about the Shirshu?"

"That's perfect. And I have a pretty good idea where we can find them." We were soon all flying on Appa's back, with Zuko guiding the reins. The sun was setting by the time we neared the Earth Kingdom.

"Zuko, I don't wanna tell you how to do your job, but why are we headed towards the Earth Kingdom?" Sokka asked at one point. "There's no way Aang's there."

"Just trust me," Zuko answered.

"And what's a Shirshu?"

"You'll know it when you see it," I told him. "It's going to help us get the help we need." We soon landed in the Earth Kingdom and made our way to a tavern, where the sounds of drinking, gambling and partying could be heard, even from outside. As we entered, Katara looked around uneasily.

"And the reason you've brought us to a seedy, Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?" she asked Zuko.

"Jun," he answered simply, pointing to the woman who was the owner of the Shirshu. When the others saw her beating up the men who tried to attack her without so much as moving from her seat, they immediately recognized her.

"Oh, yeah," Sokka said. "That weird bounty hunter with that giant mole creature she rides around on."

"That would be the Shirshu," I answered.

"It's the only animal that can track Aang's scent anywhere in the world," Zuko added. "It's the one shot we have at finding him."

"I don't know who this Jun lady is, but I like her," Toph declared after Jun had finished taking out all the men who'd tried to attack her. I couldn't help but smile. It was time to get started on finding Aang, and put an end to this war once and for all.

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	48. Chapter 47

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I own have Kala and the various OCs.  
**

* * *

"Oh, great. It's Prince Pouty," Jun muttered as we approached her. "Where's your creepy grandpa?"

"He's my uncle. And he's not here," Zuko answered pointedly.

"I see you worked things out with your girlfriend." She was clearly referring to Zuko and Katara. I took Zuko's hand in mine.

"Yes, he did," I answered pleasantly, using the same false-sweetness I'd always used as a servant whenever someone said something I wasn't allowed to speak out against.

"So, what do you want?"

"I need your help finding the Airbender again."

"Doesn't sound too fun," Jun remarked.

"Does the end of the world sound like more fun?" Zuko demanded. Jun soon agreed to help us and led us outside to where her Shirshu and Appa were growling at each other. She threw a slab of meat to her pet, which I now knew was named Nyla.

"Okay, so who's got something with the Airbender's scent on it?" she asked once she'd gotten her pet to calm down.

"I've got Aang's staff," Katara said as she grabbed the glider from Appa's saddle. Jun held it up to her Shirshu and it sniffed around for bit of time before lying on the ground and covering its nose with its paws.

"Well, what does _that_ mean?" Zuko asked.

"Means your friend's gone," Jun answered as she petted the Shirshu.

"We _know_ he's gone. That's why we're trying to find him," Toph answered.

"No, I mean he's _gone_ gone. He doesn't exist."

"What do you mean Aang doesn't exist?" Sokka asked. "Do you mean he's, you know, _dead_?"

"Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Huh… It's a real head-scratcher. See ya!"

"Wait a minute!" I called after her as she climbed on Nyla's back. "We need your help. You can't just leave. Aang is the other Half and if we want to stop Ozai from destroying the world, I need him back."

"Can't help ya there, sweetheart. Can't track what isn't there."

"Wait," Zuko said, "I have another idea. There's only one more person in this world who can help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be right back with a smell sample." Zuko returned moments later, holding an old sandal that absolutely reeked. I quickly realized it was about to be used to find Iroh.

"You still have that from when Iroh and I were captured by Earthbenders?" I asked incredulously.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Toph commented and I could only shake my head. Nyla sniffed the sandal readily and Jun instructed us to get ready to leave in search for Iroh. We quickly climbed back onto Appa and followed after Jun and her Shirshu as they ran through the forest. We flew all night, and all through the next day, for miles upon miles. On the second night, we came to the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, which surprised me.

"What would he be doing in Ba Sing Se?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"Prince Pouty's uncle is somewhere beyond the wall. Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far," Jun answered. "Good luck." With that, she rode off back in the direction we had come.

"It's been a long day. Let's camp and start our search again at dawn," Zuko suggested.

* * *

We were all sleeping soundly against Appa's fur when a ring of fire suddenly formed around us, instantly waking us in the middle of the night. My heart was racing in my chest at the thought of us being discovered by Fire Nation soldiers on the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. As we turned around to face our attackers, we saw four older men, one of whom I recognized in a heartbeat. Master Pakku was with them, and dressed in some kind of dark robe with white trimmings.

"Well, look who's here!" one of the old men said and laughed out loud. I vaguely recognized him from the Ember Island play as King Bumi, of Omashu. Another man, I only vaguely thought looked familiar and it took a minute for me to realize he was Piandao, Sokka's teacher. A grin quickly spread across my features as I stared up at these men. I didn't know who the fourth was, but if he was among the company of Master Pakku, I figured I could trust him.

Toph had voiced her confusion as to who these men were, but Katara quickly explained that they were masters and old friends of the group. I bowed to Master Pakku to show respect to him, as did Katara. I could only guess that she'd been able to train with him before he'd gone to the Southern Water Tribe as planned.

"It is respectful to bow to an old master, Katara, but how about a hug for your new grandfather?" he asked, opening his arms for her.

"That's so exciting! You and Gran Gran must me so happy to have found each other again!" Katara exclaimed as she hugged the older man.

"I made your grandmother a new betrothal necklace and everything." Sokka immediately ran forward to hug Master Pakku as well.

"Welcome to the family, Gramp Gramp!" he said happily.

"You can still just call me Pakku."

"How about GramPakku?" I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of the statement, but chuckled at how endearing the title sounded. Katara went down the line, introducing the other men to me, and I learned the man I didn't recognize had been Jeong Jeong, a Firebender.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, but… how do you all know each other? You're from such great distances from each other," I asked.

"All old people know each other, don't you know that?" King Bumi answered with a laugh.

"We're all part of the same ancient, secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations," Piandao added. I immediately reached into the folds of my skirt and pulled out the White Lotus tile Iroh had given me before I left Ba Sing Se.

"The Order of the White Lotus," Zuko and I said in unison as I held up the gambit.

"The White Lotus has always been about philosophy, and beauty and truth," Jeong Jeong said. "About a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important."

"It came from a Grand Lotus, your uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation," Master Pakku said, speaking to Zuko. I had remembered the man who helped us in the Earth Kingdom had said Iroh was a high-ranking member, but Grand Lotus sounded like something of a leadership position. Was Iroh the one in charge of this secret society?

"Well, that's who we're looking for!" Toph interjected.

"Then we'll take you to him," Piandao answered, only to have Bumi push him and Jeong Jeong aside.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. "Someone's missing from your group, someone very important. Where's Momo?" By the time he'd asked his question, he was already nose to nose with Sokka. I stared at him with a confused expression, wondering if King Bumi had lost his mind in his old age.

"He's gone, and so is Aang," Sokka answered.

"Oh, well. So long as they have each other, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. Let's go!" On the way to the White Lotus encampment, Bumi regaled us with the story of how he had retaken Omashu from Fire Nation control. It was really quite amazing to hear how he had done it, and I was thoroughly impressed. Perhaps he was only using the persona of a crazy old man as a façade to lure his enemies into a false sense of security.

Or maybe he was simply a crazy genius…

Shortly after, we reached the encampment, where Bumi welcomed us to 'old people camp', as he so endearingly called it. I looked around to see that all was quiet, and it appeared as though everyone was asleep.

"Where… where is he?" Zuko asked, in reference to his uncle.

"Your uncle's in there, Prince Zuko," Piandao answered, pointing to the tent that was directly ahead of us, a little further down the natural path made by the other tents. I watched as Zuko walked to the entrance of where his uncle was staying and sit down on the ground. I walked over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Zuko, are you okay?" I asked carefully.

"No, I'm not okay," he answered, turning away from me. "My uncle hates me, I know it. He loved me and supported me in every way he could, and I _still_ turned against him. How can I even face him?"

"Iroh could never hate you. I don't think he could really even be angry with you for any amount of time. He and I talked a lot while we were traveling together. He loves you too much to ever hate you."

"But I betrayed him."

"And you betrayed me. But I forgave you. If I could forgive you and we could get to where we are now, then I know Iroh has already forgiven you. Trust me." Zuko nodded and took a deep breath, seemingly to collect himself, before standing up to walk into the tent. I smiled after him and turned to walk to the tent I would be staying in with the rest of my friends. It had been a long day, and I needed my rest, especially knowing the comet was only a day away.

* * *

When morning came and we were all gathered for breakfast, I was happy to see Iroh and Zuko walk out of the tent together. I had been correct in my statement that Iroh would forgive Zuko for his betrayal at Ba Sing Se. How could he not? Iroh loved Zuko like a son, and no _real_ father could ever hate his child. That was something I'd learned in my travels from my own father. Even though I'd been gone for ten years, Papa had never given up the hope that I could still be alive, and when I'd hugged him for the first time on that Fire Nation ship, I realized how much he loved me. And I knew Iroh cared about Zuko the same way, and he would forgive anything Zuko had done.

"Uncle, you're the only person, other than Aang and Kala combined, who can possibly defeat the Fatherlord," Zuko said as we were eating. I stopped mid-bite and glanced at him uncertainly. Had he just said…?

"You mean the _Fire_ Lord," Toph corrected.

"That's what I just said." Iroh hummed in thought. "We need you to come with us."

"No, Zuko," Iroh answered. "It won't turn out well."

"You can beat him, and we'll be there to help."

"Even if I _did_ defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History will just see it as more senseless violence; a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar, both Halves, to defeat the Fire Lord."

"And then… then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko asked.

"No. Someone new must take the throne," Iroh answered. "An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor." I smiled softly, realizing where this was going. "It has to be _you_, Prince Zuko." Zuko looked away.

"Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes."

"Yes, you have. You struggled, suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your _own_ honor and only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."

"I'll try, Uncle."

"Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph asked. "Can Kala really stand a chance against the Fire Lord on her own?"

"Sozin's Comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us. Aang and Kala _will_ face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it _back_ from the Fire Nation, so the Earth Kingdom can be free again," Iroh answered.

"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus," Suki realized.

"Yes. Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation so that when the Fire Lord falls, _you_ can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you."

"I can handle Azula," Zuko answered, saying his sister's name as though it were something foul.

"Not alone. You'll need help."

"I'll go with you," I offered.

"No, Kala. You must be ready to fight the Fire Lord with Aang. Someone else must go with Prince Zuko."

"Uncle's right," Zuko said. "Katara, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?"

"It would be my pleasure," Katara answered with a smirk.

"What about us?" Sokka asked. "What's _our_ destiny today?"

"What do _you_ think it is?" Iroh asked.

"I think that, even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet."

"And that means, when Aang does show up to help Kala face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if they need us," Toph added with a smile. Iroh nodded, clearly pleased with how my friends and I were taking our destinies into our own hands.

* * *

It wasn't long before we were preparing to leave for our separate destinations. While Zuko and Katara would be taking Appa to the Fire Nation capital, I would be going with Sokka, Suki and Toph and an eel-hound to intercept the airship fleets. As we were making the final preparations, I found Zuko and threw my arms around him. This seemed to catch him off-guard, but he returned my embrace just as tightly.

"Kala, I…" he stopped himself, as though unable to find the words he needed to express himself. I smiled softly as I pulled back out of the embrace, understanding him perfectly. I took of the Water Tribe betrothal necklace from around my neck and tied it carefully around Zuko's wrist.

"Make sure you come out of this alive, Zuko," I whispered. "I can't stand to lose you again."

"You too," Zuko answered as he removed a ring from his finger and placed it on mine. It was the ring that bore his family crest. It must have been the only thing from his former life that he had taken with him. I would be sure to live through this battle to return it to him. I leaned forward and kissed him one more time before we split into our respective groups and took off.

It was time to grab hold of our destinies and guide them to where they needed to be. It was time to put an end to this war.

* * *

**Personally, I had quite a bit of fun with that last bit at the end. I mean, how cute is that? Kala gave him her necklace-her most valuable possession-as a way to tell him to come back safe and sound. And trust me when I say this scene will be important later. ;)**

**Please R&R.  
**


	49. Chapter 48

**Well, here we are. The beginning of the final battle. Pretty sweet, huh? Now, this chapter only ended up being three pages long. Weird, right? But if you think about it, the episode kept changing points of view, so there actually wasn't all that much having to do with Aang, meaning there was little to do with Kala, as she cannot report what she is not present for... That's the sucky part of First Person POV. lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and the other OCs I threw into the mix.  
**

* * *

Sokka, Toph, Suki and I were all well on our way to intercepting the fleet of Fire Nation airships. The comet was flying overhead, turning the sky into an ominous red, which made me uneasy. I unconsciously toyed with the ring that was now on my finger, staring down at Zuko's family emblem in the smooth red gem.

"It's weird to say, but the comet actually looks beautiful," Suki commented as we neared the island where the airships were to take off from.

"Too bad the Fire Lord's about to use it to destroy the world," Toph answered sadly.

"We're not going to let that happen," I told her firmly. "I'm going to do everything in my power to stop him." Once we arrived on the island, we climbed up to the top of the dormant volcano, only to find that the airships were already being deployed.

"We're too late!" Sokka yelled. "The fleet's already taking off!"

"Then we're taking off too," Toph answered. "Where's the closest airship?"

Before Sokka had a chance to answer, Toph used her Earthbending to propel the four of us into the air and onto the airship. Once on, we quickly ran inside to find the control center. Taking control of this ship wasn't going to be easy, but it would definitely be worth it in the end. It wasn't long before we had found the cockpit, and Sokka, Suki and I positioned ourselves on either side of the closed door. Toph stood directly in front of it and used her Metalbending to not only knock down the door, but turn it into a kind of armor to protect her from the flames. She quickly incapacitated the soldiers within, allowing for the rest of us to have clear entry into the control room.

"I still can't get over how amazing that is," I told her.

"Good work, Toph. Time to take control of this ship. Take the wheel," Sokka said.

"That's a great idea! Let the _blind_ girl steer the giant airship," Toph answered sarcastically.

"I walk talking to Suki."

"That would make a lot more sense…"

"What are we gonna do about the rest of the crew?" Suki asked.

"Take us down closer to the water. I've got an idea," Sokka answered before getting onto the sound system to speak to the entire ship. "Attention crew, this is your captain speaking. Everyone please report to the bomb bay immediately for hot cakes and sweet cream. We have a very special birthday to celebrate." As soon as we were near enough to the water, Sokka gave me the signal.

"Bombs away," I said with a smirk as I pulled the level that opened the hatch, sending the entire crew into the water. With how close we were to the ocean, it wouldn't kill any of them and I doubted it would even do much injury to many. This was just an effective way to keep them out of our hair.

"Fire Lord Ozai, here we come," Sokka said darkly and we began our ascent to catch up with Ozai's airship. Unfortunately, as we reached the coast, we realized that catching up to him would be impossible. We could only watch in horror as Ozai unleashed a stream of fire to destroy the coast of the Earth Kingdom continent. It was a grotesque sight, and my heart ached as I watched it play out. I needed to get close enough to fight him; to stop him. But how?

I was suddenly struck when I saw large slabs of rock being thrown at Ozai's airship, destroying the engine that was outside the balloon. A grin spread across my features as a gust of wind also made contact with the balloon, effectively puncturing a hole in it. It was Aang! He'd come back and he was facing Ozai! The Fire Lord propelled himself from his airship with Firebending and I suddenly realized that I could do the same with the power of Sozin's Comet. I leaped through the broken window of the cockpit, landing on the railing outside.

"Kala! What are you doing?" Suki demanded from where she was steering.

"I'm going to help Aang put an end to this war!" I answered and propelled myself forward. I was off the airship in seconds and well on my way to joining Aang. I landed on the rock pillar with him after only minutes.

"I have all the power in the world!" Ozai yelled, fire erupting from his mouth and hands, much like I had been able to imitate when Zuko had told me to roar like a tiger-dillo. Ozai sent a wave of fire at us, but Aang raised the slab of earth we were on to send it flying at him.

"Aang, now do you see? There's no reasoning with him," I insisted. Ozai started to come back, but I leapt into the air and kicked a stream of fire to stop him. As I landed back on our pillar, Aang grabbed my elbow and jumped off, taking me with him. He used his Airbending to glide us to another spot, just a bit farther away from where Ozai was.

"But there's something we can do besides killing him!" he yelled over the sounds of explosion.

Before I could ask what he was talking about, he placed one hand on my forehead and the other in the center of my chest. Typically, I would've been upset with him, but a wave of visions rushed through my mind and I was able to see everything Aang had done while he was gone, all in under a second. He'd discovered the way to defeat Ozai in a peaceful manner! As Aang pulled his hands away from me, I smirked at him.

"Well, at least you figured out something that'll make us both happy with the outcome. Now the trick is going to be getting him to stand still long enough. Let's do this!"

Ozai came forth through the flames and launched another assault on us. I quickly found that evading him wasn't the most difficult part, but that it was getting an attack in between his. He would launch flames at us left and right, and it was all we could do to stoop them from hitting us. I used my own fire to disperse his, or a wall of water to douse the flames, but he always returned with more. Aang used his Airbending to best avoid attacks, while Earthbending was his means to counter Ozai. We must have traveled miles in this battle, leaping from one rock formation to another.

Aang, at one point, sent an entire pillar flying in Ozai's direction, but the Fire Lord flew around it and sent an eruption of flames in the other Half's direction. I quickly propelled myself forward and dispersed his flames with my own, but the force of the impact, sent my flying back into Aang, which then threw us into another rock wall. We landed with a simultaneous grunt, but didn't have any time to recover before Ozai had come back at us with more attacks. He began shooting lightning at us, a terrifying prospect in and of itself. We'd just landed on yet another pillar when a stream of lightning we couldn't avoid came at us.

I pushed Aang to the ground and took the lightning, redirecting it just as Zuko had taught me. It was a technique that used Firebending in a way a Waterbender would. Turning your opponent's power against him. I couldn't think of a more perfect technique for me to be using against Ozai. Without thinking, I began aiming the redirected lightning at Ozai, prepared to end this now.

"Kala, no!" Aang yelled, breaking me out of my daze. With a frown, I went along with his wishes and sent the lightning flying in another, harmless direction. I stumbled for a moment, landing on my hands and knees.

"If your plan doesn't work, then we just wasted our only shot," I growled and pushed myself back into a standing position, just as Ozai was sending another stream of fire at us.

Aang raised a wall of earth to protect us, but we were still sent flying off the edge of the pillar from the impact. As we fell, I saw water below and quickly bended it to catch Aang and I safely. But Ozai wasn't about to give us a spare second as he flew towards us with a terrifying expression on his face. I used the water to propel Aang and me away from him, fear suddenly building in my chest. Ozai was wearing the same expression he'd worn when I saw him kill Lady Ursa. Without thinking, I began running on foot. My breathing was frantic, leaving me unable to Firebend properly, which only caused the panic in me to rise further. Aang grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him as he encased us in a giant sphere of earth. We could hear Ozai laughing from outside.

"You're weak, Airbender, just like the rest of your people!" he yelled. "They did not deserve to exist in this world, in _my_ world! Prepare to join them! And the Water Tribe servant was never a threat to me. You should know the punishment for disobeying your master! Prepare to die!"

I couldn't help the whimper that came from my lips when I heard him Firebend at our shelter.

* * *

**And there you have it. Please R&R.  
**


	50. Chapter 49

**Well... this chapter has a number of parts to it. It's got the end of the final battle, as well as the coronation, and then a little thing to wrap it all up (before the epilogue, of course). It really feels great to have gotten to this point and I'm very happy to. I hope you guys have enjoyed the adventure as much as I have.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. Only Kala and the other OCs.  
**

* * *

For the first time since understanding I would have to fight Ozai, I was scared. I was completely and utterly afraid of dying. I thought I was going to end up just like Lady Ursa had, burning in a silent death. The image of her final moments passed through my mind and I whimpered once more. She'd just stood there, staring… staring at me.

With a start, I realized that Lady Ursa had known I was there and had stared into my eyes until the moment I had run away. As the memory of her burning ripped through my consciousness, my mind was then brought to all the other people who had been hurt by the Fire Lord. The woman who'd given me my necklace, Zelia, Yue, Kayl, Song, the people of the fishing village, Katara, Sokka, Momma, Papa, Chief Hakoda, Toph, Suki, and Aang. I hadn't been able to help some of them, but I knew I couldn't allow those who were left to be hurt anymore.

I began taking deep breaths from where I was, within the rock cocoon with Aang. I knew what I had to do to put an end to Ozai's reign of terror, and I was willing to do anything to reach it. I went through the chakras, just as Guru Pathik had gone through with Aang and me what felt like a lifetime ago. No longer was I stuck in the Throat Chakra, for I had realized the lies I'd told myself. I quickly passed through the next one and came upon the chakra where I would have to release my worldly ties. With another deep breath, I unlocked the chakra.

"Come on out, Avatar!" Ozai screamed as he threw more flames at our rock protection.

I felt a surge of power course through me, and when I opened my eyes I saw that our tiny shelter was now illuminated. I figured this was what the others had been referring to when they talked about Aang and me glowing. I couldn't tell where I was glowing from, but I didn't really care at the moment. I had power of all four elements at my beckon call, and for the first time, I had complete control over my body.

In the next moment, our encasement was destroyed and I flew high above, bending his fire away from me as I did so. I stared down at where I'd last seen Aang, worried he'd been hurt by the flames. As Ozai leaned forward, I readied a fire blast. I only stopped because I saw a hand reach out from beneath the rubble and grab his beard. It was Aang! And from the looks of it, he'd gone into the True Avatar State as well. Ozai tried to attack Aang, but the other Half easily shoved the fire away with a quick movement of the wrist. In the next instant, the Fire Lord was being thrown back by a huge wave of air and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Let's bring this war to an end, Aang!" I yelled from where I was flying. I was a bit surprised to hear that my voice was not my own, but a mixture of all the voices of my past lives.

Aang nodded in response and flew with me toward Ozai. We surrounded ourselves with all four arts of bending, each prepared to take on whatever Ozai tried to throw at us. For the first time in my life, the Fire Lord looked worried, and I couldn't help but take a bit of pride in knowing that he was afraid of me just as much as he feared Aang.

We attacked Ozai head-on, throwing him even farther back and Aang already had. And though the Fire Lord tried to evade us, it quickly proved futile. I used my newly-acquired Earthbending skills to fire stone projectiles at him and the surrounding area, providing him with fewer places to hide. Aang threw a water whip at the Fire Lord, which only narrowly missed but managed to put out the flames he'd tried to throw at us.

I quickly realized that Ozai was trying to run away from us. He was too afraid to face us head-on anymore, now that we possessed the power to take him out once and for all. He was trying to lose us in the landscape so that he could continue with his attack. Well, it wasn't going to work. With every shot of fire Ozai threw at us, we were able to match tenfold with not only fire, but the other elements. He didn't stand a chance against us. Aang countered his fire with water, something he hadn't been able to do before now, and I pinned the Fire Lord to the nearest pillar with a gust of air, which I now understood what a joyous element it was.

It wasn't long before we'd stopped Ozai where he was flying and I wrapped him up with a stream of water. I dragged him to the top of another pillar, while Aang trapped him with the ground locking his feet and hands. Ozai's face could be read as pure terror for what Aang and I could do to him now that he'd been left vulnerable.

"Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world," Aang said. His voice also reflected those of his past lives along with his own.

"And now, you shall pay the ultimate price!" I yelled, ready to douse him in flames, just as he had done to Lady Ursa, Zuko and me in the past. I was stopped when I saw Aang leave the True Avatar State, taking on his own form and I remembered what he'd wanted to do since I joined him. I stopped my flames of revenge, and returned to my normal state, just as Aang released the earth around Ozai's limbs.

"No. We're not gonna end it like this."

"Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak," Ozai growled as he started to get up.

The moment he moved to attack us with Firebending, I extinguished them with my Waterbending and Aang trapped his arms once more in the rock and lowered him to kneel before us. Aang placed his hands on Ozai's forehead and chest, just as he'd done to me when I'd joined him at the beginning of this battle. I didn't hesitate in standing beside the other Half and placing my hands in the same position. If this was going to work, it would require the both of us, as the full embodiment of the Avatar. I'd learned from Aang, who had learned from a giant lion-turtle, that prior to the creation of the Avatar in the two people, it was not elements that were bended but energy itself.

In under a second, the battle quickly stopped being one of power and the elements, but one of strength of will. Our very auras were battling for dominance. Aang and I against Ozai. I could feel Ozai's energy winning, engulfing us with the fires of his hatred. It felt as though it was burning my soul, but I wasn't about to give in, and I knew Aang wasn't either. I thought once again to all the people I'd wanted to save, and all that I'd learned through my travels not only with Zuko, but with Aang.

_Remember who you are. _

_It's not about forgetting the bad. It's about remembering the good._

Together, we pushed back with everything we had, overtaking Ozai's energy with a radiant blue light that erupted from us. We pulled away and Aang released Ozai's arms, letting the Fire Lord fall limply to the ground. He quickly sat up and tried to Firebend at us, but nothing happened. Nothing _would_ happen ever again.

"It's no use, Ozai," I told him. "You're no longer a Firebender, and you will never be able to hurt people with it again."

"Time for some damage control," Aang murmured as he stared out at the burning forests. I nodded and took a deep breath before pulling water from the nearby oceans and rivers to carefully douse the flames without drowning whatever wildlife might be left. Once the flames were out, I replaced the water back to where it belonged and turned to Aang.

"We did it, Aang," I whispered. "And you found a way to do it without killing him." I pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you. You saved me from becoming a monster like him."

* * *

Soon after, Sokka, Toph and Suki joined us on the pillar, having taken a hijacked airship to where we were. I noticed Sokka leaning heavily on Toph and Suki and wondered what had happened to him. Had he gotten hurt while they were taking out the fleet?

"You did it! You should've seen yourselves! It was amazing!" Sokka exclaimed. When he began reenacting our battle with his own sound effects, I knew he couldn't have been hurt too badly and chuckled at him.

"So did you guys, you know, finish the job?" Suki asked as she looked over Ozai's weakened form.

"I'm still alive," he growled and Suki pulled back.

"I learned there was another way to defeat him and restore balance, and I showed it to Kala. We took his bending away," Aang explained, earning surprised expressions from our friends.

"Wow… Who taught you that?" Toph asked.

"A giant lion-turtle."

"Trust me, it's best not to ask and just go with it at this point," I told them when their confused expressions didn't disappear.

"You have the craziest adventures when you disappear," Toph said as she shook her head.

* * *

With Ozai having been put in his place and balance restored to the world, daybreak came with the knowledge that I would no longer be fighting for my very existence anymore. It was, actually, really nice. Of course, the moment I had awoken, I was immediately pulled out of bed and the servants within the Fire Nation Royal Palace began tending to me. It was so strange to see these women, whom I'd grown up with, suddenly taking care of me. I'd tried to tell them not to, but they plainly refused.

"Miss Kala, we are _happy_ to help you prepared for Fire Lord Zuko's coronation," Ritzu answered once I'd emerged from the bath. She immediately began filing my nails—though there wasn't much to work with as I'd made sure to keep them short prior to the final battle—while three other women helped me dress and combed my hair, as it was too short to style. "Zelia would be so happy to see you like this."

I smiled sadly. "I know," I murmured. Ritzu suddenly stopped and smiled up at me coyly.

"Kala, why didn't you tell us before?"

"Tell you what?"

She held up my hand, which still wore Zuko's ring. "That you and the Fire Lord are engaged!" I quickly pulled my hand out of her grasp.

"No, no. That's not what it is at all. I'd actually forgotten I was wearing it. I need to return it to him. He'd given it to me because I'd given him my Water Tribe necklace. It was meant to say that we wanted to see each other alive again once this war was over. I should bring it to him now." I began standing, but Ritzu quickly pulled me back into my seat.

"You can see Fire Lord Zuko _after_ we've finished preparing you for the coronation," she answered. "You may be Half the Avatar, but that doesn't you're not the same little Kala that we raised."

As soon as I was freed by the women I'd grown up with, I ran down the corridors of the Royal Palace, earning many stares from the people I passed. Many of them smiled at me as well, pointing towards Zuko's room, as they knew he was the one I was running to. When I came to his opened door, I saw him struggling to put on his robes. While he'd managed to get one sleeve on, he groaned in pain at the action. I chuckled softly as I walked into the room.

"Let me help you," I suggested softly, causing Zuko to turn to see me.

"Kala, I'm glad to see you," he said as I helped him put his other arm through its proper sleeve.

I carefully overlapped the front of his robe, my fingers lingering over the bandages on his torso before I began tying the sash. I'd heard the night before about how he'd saved Katara's life from Azula's lightning, and how it had almost killed him in the process. When I'd heard about this, I'd ran to him as quickly as I could and threw my arms around him while he was in the middle of a healing session. It hurt for me to see the bandages now, but I figured it was better than seeing him dead.

"Just like old times, huh?"

"Not at all," Zuko answered and kissed me before tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "You're wearing Water Tribe clothes." I glanced down at my outfit with a faint smile. I was wearing a deep blue kimono with white trimmings and waves stitched into the bottom and cuffs of my sleeves. A white sash was used to hold it closed, and I wore an image of the moon proudly on my back.

I rolled my eyes at Zuko. "Master Pakku _insisted_ I wear the attire of my nation. You'll see Aang in some oversized monk robes in a few minutes. I'm just glad I don't have to wear the coat. I'd die from the heat." Zuko chuckled in response.

"You look beautiful."

"You're not too bad yourself, Fire Lord Zuko," I answered as I finished adjusting his robes.

"I'm going to have trouble getting used to the new title."

"Just don't let it go to your head, or else you'll have a turtle-duck pond with your name on it." Both of us started laughing and I couldn't help but feel that this was the way it was always meant to be. Zuko and I were together, and we were happy.

"You've changed so much since we found out you were Half the Avatar," Zuko told me and I shrugged.

"Not really. I'm still the same person I've always been."

"No. You're bolder now. It's like there's a fire in your eyes."

I shook my head in response. "You've changed too," I answered and he glanced away sadly.

"I know." I placed a hand on his scarred cheek.

"Most definitely for the better." I leaned forward and kissed him. When we pulled apart, Zuko held up my necklace that I'd given him to wear during the battle with Azula. He carefully put it on me, clasping it closed behind my neck. It felt right to be wearing it again, as though it was a part of me. I then began pulling off his ring and started to hand it back to him.

"Keep it," Zuko said. I stared at him for a moment, confused by what he'd just told me. Did he really want me to keep his family ring? But… That was the engagement ritual of the Fire Nation. A man would give his family ring to the woman he wanted to marry, much like my people made betrothal necklaces for their future brides. Zuko telling me to keep his ring would have to mean…

"Zuko, do you really mean-" I began asking.

"Yeah." I smiled brightly and replaced the ring on my finger before throwing my arms around Zuko and kissing him again.

"Come on," I whispered as we pulled apart. "It's time for you to officially become Fire Lord."

* * *

Zuko was declared Fire Lord, and the war was declared to be over. We all knew we'd have a long road ahead of us, doing away with the scars that had been made on the world by Sozin, Azulon and Ozai. But right now, on the night after all this had taken place, it was time to take a deep breath and realize just how much had been accomplished.

As I stood outside by the turtle-duck pond, I couldn't believe where I was. A short time ago, I was at this very pond teaching myself how to Waterbend in secrecy. Now, I was back not as a servant, but as the future Fire Lady, though nobody was aware of it yet. Zuko and I had decided to wait until we were eighteen before actually having the marriage ceremony. For now, as far as anyone knew, we were dating, but not engaged. We'd announce the engagement next year.

"You've done it, Kala," a familiar, feminine voice said and I smiled softly as I stared up at the moon. Yue's translucent form appeared before me, hovering just inches above the pond and I turned my gaze to her as a tear fell from my eyes.

"I couldn't have done it alone," I answered softly. "I had all my friends right there with me." Yue nodded with a smile.

"Congratulations on the engagement. I'm sure you will be very happy with him. I could see it when the two of you came to save the spirits, and I see it even more now." I played with the ring on my finger, but couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks.

"Yue, I'm so sorry. I wasn't able to save you, or Tui, at the North Pole. And I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep my promise to travel the world with you."

"Kala, I don't blame you for what happened at the North Pole, and you _did_ keep your promise. You traveled the whole world, and I was with you every step of the way. We _did_ see the world together. Please, don't let this be the one thing that keeps you from being happy with where you are in your life now. You have so much to be happy for. Besides, now I can always be with you, no matter where you are."

I nodded slowly, realizing she was right in that respect. I supposed that, in a way, I hadn't _really_ lost her after all. I was still saddened by the knowledge that she could never live out her full life as it was meant to be, but now she was a timeless spirit of the moon, and she would not only watch over me, but all my friends and the rest of the world. Yue smiled at me one last time before disappearing. Moments later, I heard footsteps coming from behind me and a hand resting on my shoulder.

"Kala, what are you doing out here?" Zuko asked. I wiped my eyes and smiled up at him.

"Talking to the moon."

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**Come on, did you guys really think I could bring this to an end without using the 'talking to the moon' thing that showed up in the first two seasons. I had to use it again. It's, like, Kala's _thing_. lol. And what do you guys think about the proposal scene? Not exactly what some people would expect huh? No down-on-one-knee stuff, no gushy confessions of love. Just, a promise. And I liked having it like that because, let's face it, they're sixteen. While Kala _is_ of marrying age, that doesn't necessarily mean she's ready to be married yet, especially considering how short a time she and Zuko were 'officially' a couple. So, it's like a promise ring and an engagement ring in one. How's that for cute, huh? lol**

**Anyway, only an epilogue chapter to post after this. I really hope you guys have enjoyed Kala's tale. Please R&R.  
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	51. Epilogue

**Well, here it is: The epilogue of Kala's story. Thank you's and extra notes will be at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA or any of its characters. I only have Kala and the other OCs that I threw into the mix.  
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"And that's the story of how the Water Dragon shaped her destiny and saved the world, along with the Air Dragon and all their friends," I finished, releasing all the water I'd used from the fountain.

The Fire Nation children gathered around my feet stared up at me in awe, clearly enthralled by the story I had just woven for them with my Waterbending. I'd told them the story of how I'd come to be a servant in the Fire Nation, all the way through until the end of the Great War. Of course, I'd toned down some of the details for the sake of their innocent minds, but they understood what had occurred.

Three years had passed since Aang and I had defeated Ozai, and I was now living happily in the Fire Nation Royal Palace as the young Fire Lady. I'd spent the first three months after the end of the war traveling the world with Aang, working to rebuild the bonds of trust that had been shattered from the previous hundred years. I'd reunited with Kayl in the Northern Water Tribe during that time, and I'd told him everything that had happened since the siege at the North Pole. He'd remarked once more how I was like the wolf.

I'd visited Granny Hwei again in Ba Sing Se when Aang and I traveled to the Earth Kingdom again. I told her how her advice had helped me so much, and how it had saved me on more than one occasion. She never said a word in return, though. She'd passed away soon after my meeting with her, likely while I was traveling with Aang and the others, and I'd been speaking to her stone grave. I'd heard she'd passed away peacefully in her sleep, her many years finally catching up with her after she'd imparted her wisdom on willing young ears.

After traveling with Aang for those three months, I spent another three living in the South Pole with my father, for no other reason than to try and make up for lost time with him. He'd told me once again how proud he was of me and how he wished my mother could have seen me now. Papa was the only one I told about the engagement before Zuko and I had planned to, and I swore him to secrecy. Zuko came to visit and was able to meet my father for the first time. I still loved to look back on their first, awkward conversation in which Papa warned him to never hurt me, and Zuko agreed to what must have been a hundred rules that had been laid.

A full year after the end of the war, Zuko and I had announced our engagement to our friends and family, and the news spread like wildfire. It soon got to the point where I couldn't go anywhere without someone congratulating me and wishing us both happy years ahead of us. A year after that, we were married and I officially became the Fire Lady.

Katara and Aang were now living happily in one of the Air Temples, though they visited often. Toph had returned to Ba Sing Se with Iroh, who had opened his tea shop again. The young Earthbending master was helping to reshape how things were run in the city, in between visits to all her friends. Sokka and Suki were currently living together in the Southern Water Tribe, with Sokka leading all the designs for rebuilding my old home. From what I heard, things were going wonderfully.

"But Lady Kala," one of the girls around me began, "what about the Fire Dragon?"

"What do you mean? He defeated his sister and-"

"No! I mean what about him and the Water Dragon? Did they get married in the end?"

"Yes, they did," a familiar voice answered. I looked up to see Zuko stepping out from behind a nearby building, clearing having been listening to me tell my story to the children. I smiled gently at him, while the children gawked and grinned. Things had certainly changed since Ozai's reign had come to an end. No longer were civilians distanced from their royalty, because we walked among them.

"Fire Lord Zuko, you know this story too?" a little boy asked in awe. Zuko chuckled and took a seat beside me, taking my hand in his.

"Yes, I do. It's one of my favorite stories."

"Mine too," I answered and kissed his cheek, earning remarks about cooties from the children. I giggled in response and turned to them. "Who wants to hear the story about the Moon Spirit and her best friend, the Wolf?"

"Ooh! We do!"

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**And there you have it. This is NOT Babies Ever After... if you don't know what that means, look it up on Tvtropes. Anyway, I just figured that with all the rebuilding of the world going on, Kala wouldn't be having kids so young. She's got Fire Lady and Avatar Half duties that she needs to do, and she's not gonna become a housewife just because she's married. ... It's the slightly feminist side of me. Hahaha!**

**Anyway, there are a lot of thank you's to be passed out. The first goes to you. Yes, you, loyal reader. Thank you for reading my story and finding it enjoyable to read up until the end. You could have read plenty of other stories ore spent your time doing other things, but you chose to read MY story, and I feel honored for that. If you reviewed, thank you, and if you didn't, then I'm happy you still enjoyed the story to finish it.**

**My second thank you is a branch off the first one. This goes out to all you readers who have been with me since the beginning (or at least around a year or so). I know I can be very frustrating at times with my lack of updates, or how there were times that I would go six months with nothing and then have sudden inspiration. Believe me, I know how frustrating that is, so thank you for sticking it through with me, and I apologize here and now for all the frustrations with my story.**

**Next, my thanks goes to all the friends who have helped me make this story possible. Ashley for being my co-author/editor for much of the early stages. You finally get to read the whole thing without waiting forever for me! Hahaha! Then to Dragon of Twilight for helping me work out the kinks when I needed it. The Tales of Ba Sing Se is definitely one of my favorite chapters, as you can probably tell with how many times I referenced it in the third season. And finally to Solaris Prime, for always being someone I can go to if I have questions or need an extra kick for inspiration. You guys all rock!**

**So, with that, I hope you all enjoyed the story, and I've already gotten reviews from people asking if I'll do something for the Legend of Korra. Hmmm... Maybe, maybe not. All depends on if I can come up with a good idea and character to spice things up with. Hahaha! Thank you all for reading and, for the last time in this story, Please R&R.  
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